Story of Cashew

THE STORY BEHIND THE CASHEW NUT

Cashew, the nut born of the evergreen tropical tree has become famous worldwide. It’s believed that cashew orchards first originated in Brazil. From the 16th century, Portuguese sailors propagated South American plants around the world, introducing their native fruits and nuts to many countries including Sri Lanka. It was not until the country gained its independence however that cashew cultivation, soared in popularity.

Cashew value addition is a laborious and time-consuming process. Cashew bears fruits once a year, in what is known as the cashew season, from April through to July.

Known for its multi-faceted produce, Cashew trees bear the cashew fruit, a juicy delicacy for some, its seed (the actual nut), a luxurious snack, and cashew gum is a versatile polymer. Cashew is cultivated in almost all the districts in the country. However, the extent of cultivation is substantial in the dry zone areas, and arid zone areas.