Succulent Fruit

— Is there something familiar when you look at the fruit above? If it does not ring a bell, don’t be fooled by the red fruit you see (there’s also a smaller, green fruit behind the red one on the left). Look at the small and dark part attached to the red fruit. That might look familiar to you. If you think that could be a cashew nut, you got it!

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree that is native to the northeast of my home country of Brazil. I have made these photos just on the outskirts of Fortaleza (Ceará), my hometown. Most people know cashews for their edible seeds, i.e., the cashew nut. In reality, though, the cashew nut is not actually a nut, but a seed that is enclosed in a hard, dark shell. The shell contains a poisonous resin that can cause skin irritation and burns. In order to get to the nut that we eat, the process of removing the shell involves roasting or steaming. We used to roast those nuts when we were kids growing up in Brazil. 

The photo you see here with the red cashew apple is not upside down. That is actually the way the fruit grows on a cashew tree, as you saw above. It all starts with the seed (or the cashew nut). Then the cashew apple starts growing between the nut and the stem holding it to the tree. The red part of the fruit you see can sometimes also be yellow or orange. That part is very succulent and sweet. The cashew tree is a large tree, growing up to 30 feet tall (about 9 meters tall). It has a spreading canopy and glossy green leaves.

Although the seed is more famous in and outside of Brazil, let me tell you that the cashew apple, which is the fleshy fruit that surrounds the cashew nut, can be eaten fresh or made into juice, jelly, cider, or vinegar. The cashew apple is rich in vitamin C. Nothing is lost, as there is no need to remove the thin peel of the fruit. During the regular season, most households collect the nuts and wait until the end of the season to roast them for the actual cashew nuts (seeds) inside.

Cashew nuts are a good source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including copper, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. They have also been shown to have a number of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. They may also help to improve blood sugar control and weight loss.

This post is my entry to Denzil Nature‘s call for his Nature Photo Challenge #24: Edible.