The cashew nut is a most unusual culinary nut. It’s not even a nut in the traditional sense; it’s some kind of fruiting appendage of the yellow cashew fruit, commonly known as a cashew apple. The cashew nut’s shell contains oils that can cause a reaction similar to poison oak or poison ivy if touched, so for this reason, cashews are almost never sold with their shells or raw.
The cashew apple is just as mysterious, as it’s nearly impossible to find in any form outside of Brazil. However, during a trip to Rio de Janeiro, I happened to find cashew nectar at a local market and had to try it. The taste is pretty mild: fruity, but not very tart, like a stone fruit. It also had somewhat of a latex flavor to it. You’d never guess it came from nut that you’d find in your trail mix. Not my favorite, but a unique juice that can only be found in this part of the world.
