Cashews

One day, my friend Edda Tedford and I were hiking through the jungle on an island called Taboga, off the coast of Panama. It was hot and we became very thirsty. Unfortunately we did not bring anything to drink with us. While walking and wondering what we would do to quench our thirst, we came upon a tree with odd-looking fruit hanging down from it. We had never seen such a thing before. We picked some of the fruit and bit into it. The fruit was tangy and very juicy. We did not eat them, but sucked the strange sweet nectar out of it. On the outside tip of the fruit was a hard nut, which resembled something like a cashew nut. Yes, it was a cashew tree but of that fact we were unaware of at the time.

Later I saw many .cashew trees and picked the .fruit for juice, roasted the nuts for food and used the leaves for tea. I also learnt afterwards the many benefits and medicinal uses that can be derived from the cashew tree.

The cashew tree is a big tree that grows to 15 meters in height. It has a thick trunk and branches so winding that they often reach the ground. The cashew tree can be used for many purposes and in the manufacture of many products. The bark and leaves of the tree are used for medicinal purposes. The cashew nut and even the shell around the nut can also be used medicinally. The cashew tree has industrial applications as it can be used in the production of plastics. Because of its phenol content it is also used in resin producing industries. Then there is the “fruit”. The cashew fruit is very peculiar, as it really isn’t a fruit at all. It is actually a swollen peduncle in which end the cashew nut grows. This large pulpy and juicy part is a pseudo-fruit, which has a fine sweet flavour. Fresh or frozen cashew fruit concentrate is a common juice product found at food stores throughout South America. The cashew nut grows externally in its own kidney shaped hard shell at the end of this pseudo-fruit or peduncle. The nut kernel inside is covered with an inner shell and between the two shells is a thick caustic toxic oil called “cardol”. Cashew nuts must be cleaned to remove the cardol and then roasted to remove the toxins before they can be eaten. There is a large process to be done before the cashew can be eaten. No wonder the cost of these nuts is so high in stores here in Canada. Additionally, only one nut is produced per fruit.

Native to the northeast coast of Brazil, “Cajueiro” or the cashew was domesticated long before the arrival of Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century. It was “discovered” by Europeans and first recorded in 1578. From there it was taken to India and then to East Africa where it soon became naturalized in those countries.

In sixteenth century Brazil, cashew fruits and their juice were taken by Europeans to treat fever, to sweeten breath, and to “conserve the stomach”. The cashew tree has been used for centuries by the Indigenous Tribes of the rainforest, being a common cultivated plant in their gardens. The Tikuna tribe in northwest Amazonia considers the fruit juice to be medicinal. They use the juice to fight influenza. They as well brew a tea using the leaves and bark lo combat diarrhea. Other common uses today from the cashew tree are for treating coughs or bronchitis and it is a good throat rinse when there is inflammation of the tonsils. In some countries it is even used to treat colds, hypertension, skin infections, stomachaches, asthma, and fever. The roots are said to be beneficial in purging the system.

The cashew tree and its many products cover a wide range of uses. In addition to being delicious, it is a rich souree of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. It has up to five times more vitamin C than oranges and has a high amount of mineral salts. It is also a good scalp conditioner and tonic, often used in shampoos, lotions and scalp creams due to the conditioning activity of its proteins and mucilage.

It is my wish and prayer that we as God’s children would appreciate the benefits that we have from natural sources. So when treating any problems that we may have, let us go to the plants and herbs for cleansing and healing. AMEN