Dispersal[edit]While the cashew plant is native to northeast Brazil, the Portugu

ese took it to Goa, India, between 1560 and 1565. From there it spread throughou
t Southeast Asia and eventually Africa.[5]
Cashew nut[edit]
Cashew nuts, saltedCashew nuts are a popular snack and food source. Cashews, unl
ike other oily tree nuts, contain starch to about 10% of their weight. This make
s them more effective than other nuts in thickening water-based dishes such as s
oups, meat stews, and some Indian milk-based desserts. Many southeast Asian cuis
ines use cashews for this unusual characteristic, rather than other nuts.[6]
The shell of the cashew nut is toxic, which is why the shell is removed before i
t is sold to consumers.[7]
Cashew nuts are commonly used in Indian cuisine, whole for garnishing sweets or
curries, or ground into a paste that forms a base of sauces for curries (e.g., k
orma), or some sweets (e.g., kaju barfi). It is also used in powdered form in th
e preparation of several Indian sweets and desserts. In Goan cuisine, both roast
ed and raw kernels are used whole for making curries and sweets.

Cashew sprouts (above) are eaten raw as well as cooked in Kerala. Cashew nuts ge
rminate within days after falling; these are generally collected from the ground
after harvesters finish; or if the rains arrive before harvesting is complete.T
he cashew nut can also be harvested in its tender form, when the shell has not h
ardened and is green in color. The shell is soft and can be cut with a knife and
the kernel extracted, but it is still corrosive at this stage, so gloves are re
quired. The kernel can be soaked in turmeric water to get rid of the corrosive m
aterial before use. Cashew nuts are also used in Thai and Chinese cuisine, gener
ally in whole form.
In the Philippines, cashew is a known product of Antipolo, and is eaten with sum
an. Pampanga also has a sweet dessert called turrones de casuy, which is cashew
marzipan wrapped in white wafers.
In Indonesia, roasted and salted cashew nut is called kacang mete or kacang mede
, while the cashew apple is called jambu monyet (literally means monkey rose app
le).
In Mozambique, bolo polana is a cake prepared using powdered cashews and mashed
potatoes as the main ingredients. This dessert is popular in South Africa, too.[
8]
South American countries have developed their own specialities. In Brazil, the c
ashew fruit juice is popular all across the country. In Panama, the cashew fruit
is cooked with water and sugar for a prolonged time to make a sweet, brown, pas
te-like dessert called dulce de maran. Maran is one of the Spanish names for cashew.