Cashews grow on cashew trees, which are tropical evergreen trees that thrive in warm climates. The cashew fruit, or cashew apple, develops from the cashew nut. The nut itself grows at the end of a cashew apple, hanging downwards.
The Cashew Growth Cycle: From Tree to Nut
Cashew trees are cultivated in tropical regions, requiring specific climate conditions to flourish. Here's a breakdown of their growth process:
- Planting: Cashew tree saplings are planted, often propagated from seeds or grafts.
- Growth: The trees mature over several years, eventually bearing fruit.
- Flowering and Fruiting: The trees flower, and subsequently, cashew apples develop with the cashew nut attached beneath.
- Harvesting: Once ripe, the cashew apples and nuts are harvested. The harvesting process is labor-intensive, often involving manual collection.
- Processing: A crucial step is splitting open the hard shell surrounding the cashew nut. This often involves machinery. The nuts are then roasted to neutralize the urushiol, a toxic liquid in the shell that can cause skin irritation.
The reference video highlights the crucial role of workers in the post-harvest processing, particularly roasting the nuts to eliminate the toxic liquid within the shell. This process is critical before the cashew nuts are ready for consumption. The video also shows that machinery is involved in opening the tough shells to expose the cashew nut.
