Cashews, known scientifically as Anacardium occidentale, belong to the same family as the mango and pistachio nut. The name Anacardium, originally from the Greek, actually refers to the nut, core or heart of the fruit, which is outwardly located (ana means “upwards” and cardium means “heart”).
Its English name derives from the Portuguese for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which itself is derived from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú.
Is it a Seed or a Fruit?
The fruit, called cashew apple is an accessory fruit (sometimes called “false” fruit) and added in refreshing drinks in Brazil and the Carribean. The actual fruit (the one we know as cashew nut) is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that contains a single seed and grows at the lower end of the cashew apple.In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers introduced the cashew trees in Brazil and later in tropical colonies such as India and Africa. The cashew nut did not gain popularity until the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the leading commercial producers of cashews are India, Brazil, Mozambique, Tanzania and Nigeria.