Content
- Where do cashews come from?
- Discovered by the Portuguese
- The "mango of the forest"
- Where do cashews come from, which are sold in Germany?
- Cashews only available roasted and pretreated
- Plant cashew tree in Germany
- Tips & Tricks
Where do cashews come from?
The home of the popular cashew kernels, which are often offered in nut mixes, is northeastern Brazil. The cashew trees were discovered by the Portuguese. They contributed to the distribution of cashew kernels in their colonies in Asia and Africa.
Discovered by the Portuguese
The first Europeans to benefit from cashews were the Portuguese conquerors. They brought the fruits as far back as the 16th century to Europe and their colonies in Asia and Africa.
The "mango of the forest"
Cashew trees are referred to in Thailand as the "mango of the forest". The trees are very similar to the mango. The cores are also known under the name "Elephant Louse".
Cashew trees can reach a height of up to 15 meters in tropical regions.
Because of their long taproots, cashew trees are often planted as protection against erosion.
From the cashew tree, two fruits can be harvested at once, namely the so-called cashew apple and the cashew kernels.
The fruits are processed to:
Where do cashews come from, which are sold in Germany?
Cashew kernels are sold in Germany in the supermarket or in the health food store.
The largest share is imported from Brazil. Fair trade chains also offer cores from African production to boost the domestic economy.
Cashews only available roasted and pretreated
In Germany, exclusively treated cashew kernels are commercially available. They are roasted to release them from the very hard shell. The brown skin surrounding the kernels is removed by another roasting process.
The shell contains an oil that is toxic. The cashew kernels themselves can cause discomfort in people with histamine intolerance.
Plant cashew tree in Germany
Cashew trees need a tropical climate and thrive only in high humidity.
These site conditions can only be created in the greenhouse. There you can grow cashew trees, which also bear fruit.
To seed a cashew tree, the cores must be untreated. In Germany, they are so hard to get.
Tips & Tricks
Cashew is the English name of tree and kernels, which has become naturalized in Germany. Originally, the name comes from the language of the Tupa Indians. "Acaju" is translated as "kidney tree", which may refer to the curved shape of the cores.