Cashews Anyone?

Did you know that the cashew is actually a fruit? I learned this the first time that I came to Brazil and it still amazes me. Related to the mango and apparently poison ivy, the cashew is a reddish / yellowish bell-shaped fruit which is native to northeastern Brazil. In fact, it was introduced to Indian / Asian cuisine by Portuguese sailors who brought cashew trees to Asia from Brazil in the sixteenth century. The cashew fruit is rarely eaten raw but is often used to make fresh juice. Personally, I do not really like the juice – perhaps it is an acquired taste – as I find it too bitter for my liking. But that doesn't lessen its popularity here in Recife [maybe all the added sugar makes it more bearable!]. The cashew's seed – what we know to be the nut – differs from the seeds of other fruits as it grows on the outside of the fruit as opposed a seed's more usual location on the inside. The nut is encased in two layers of shell between which lies a strong and corrosive substance often used to make varnish, insecticide, and even paint. True story!