What Are Cashew Nuts?

Cashew nuts are a type of nut harvested from a tropical tree that grows in Brazil, Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia. Cashews technically aren’t nuts but are seeds that are inside of the “drupe” that grows from the cashew apples on the tree. 

What Do Cashew Nuts Taste Like?

Cashews are crunchy and have a slightly sweet and buttery taste, similar to other nuts like peanuts and almonds.

How Can You Eat Cashew Nuts?

You can eat cashew nuts in a variety of ways. Roasted cashews make a great snack in trail mix or on their own. Chopped cashews make a great addition to salads, stir-fries, and other foods and provide a crunchy texture. You can also blend cashews to create creamy cashew butter, which can replace almond or peanut butter. These nuts are also prevalent in vegan cooking and used to make substitutes for dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese. 

Where Can You Buy Cashew Nuts?

Cashew nuts are available in almost all grocery stores next to the other nuts. Other cashew products like milk and yogurt are in the dairy case at specialty food stores and most supermarkets.

How Do You Store Cashew Nuts?

Store cashew nuts in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Cashew nuts won’t last very long inside of the pantry but will last up to six months in the refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer. 

Fun Fact About Cashew Nuts:

Cashew nuts cannot be sold inside of their shell. Cashew shells contain the same toxin as poison ivy and are not safe to eat.

Did You know?

The United States eats about 90% of the cashews that are consumed around the world!

Recipes Using Cashews

Cashew Chicken

Add cashews to stir-fried chicken, broccoli, peppers, onions, and soy sauce glaze to make a homemade version of this Chinese takeout favorite.

Vegan Cashew Alfredo Sauce

Create a dairy-free version of this Italian restaurant favorite by blending soaked cashews, garlic, seasonings, broth, and nutritional yeast. Use the sauce to top your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash for a healthier take on pasta alfredo.

Broccoli with Garlic and Cashews

Steam broccoli in a large stockpot with an inch of water. In a separate saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili flakes and bring to a boil. Stir some cashews into the sauce and pour over the steamed broccoli. Serve the broccoli over a bed of steamed white rice.

Roasted Cashews

For a quick snack, place raw cashews on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Cashew Coconut Energy Bites

In a blender or food processor, combine cashews, dates, almond butter, vanilla extract, and shredded coconut to make sweet energy balls perfect for an after-school snack. The vanilla extract gives these energy bites a tasty vanilla flavor.