Cashew
Cashews are the creamy, buttery nut that home cooks reach for whether they’re snacking, cooking, or making dairy-free magic.
In a nutshell
Cashews are kidney-shaped nuts harvested from the cashew apple tree native to Brazil. They have a mild, buttery flavor and a satisfyingly creamy texture that sets them apart from most other nuts. That versatility makes them equally at home in a trail mix, a Thai stir-fry, or a blended vegan cream sauce.
Nutrition
≈ 75 Calories and 5.9g fat per tablespoon.
Cashews deliver a well-rounded nutrient profile anchored by heart-healthy monounsaturated fats — the same type dominant in olive oil — which make up a significant portion of their fat content. It’s worth noting that cashews contain a higher proportion of saturated fat than most other tree nuts, though the overall fat profile is still largely unsaturated. They’re a solid plant-based protein source and supply meaningful amounts of magnesium, copper, and zinc, minerals that support bone health, immune function, and energy metabolism. The copper content in particular is notably high, supporting iron absorption and collagen formation. While relatively lower in fiber than some legumes, cashews still contribute to satiety, and their low sodium content makes them a naturally heart-friendly snack when purchased unsalted. Nutrition per 100 g.
Culinary uses & pairings
In the kitchen, cashews shine as a snack and salad topper — roasted and lightly salted they’re hard to beat straight from the bowl, and roughly chopped they add crunch and richness to grain bowls, slaws, and Asian-inspired salads. They take to dry-roasting beautifully, developing a deep, nutty aroma that raw cashews simply can’t match. Whole or halved cashews are a classic addition to stir-fries like kung pao chicken and Indian-style curries such as korma, where they soak up sauce and add textural contrast.
Soaked and blended, cashews transform into one of the most useful tools in a home cook’s dairy-free arsenal. Cashew cream — made by soaking raw cashews in water for two to four hours and blending until silky smooth — stands in beautifully for heavy cream in pasta sauces, soups, and cheesecake fillings. Cashew butter, whether store-bought or homemade, is milder and creamier than almond butter and works wonderfully in smoothies, salad dressings, and no-bake energy bites.
Pairs well with
Substitutions
Buying & storage
Look for cashews that are uniformly ivory to pale gold in color with no dark spots, shriveling, or oily residue, which can signal rancidity or age. Whole cashews cost more than pieces but are worth it for stir-fries and presentation; pieces are perfectly fine for blending or chopping. For dairy-free cooking, always buy raw unsalted cashews — roasted or salted ones won’t blend as smoothly and will throw off your seasoning. Bulk bins can be economical but make sure the turnover is high; smell before you buy, since a fresh cashew should have a clean, mildly sweet aroma with no paint-like or sour notes.
Grades
- W-180 (Wholes): The largest, most prized grade — around 180 whole kernels per pound — often sold as ‘jumbo’ cashews. Best for showcasing in dishes and snacking.
- W-240 / W-320 (Wholes): Medium-sized whole cashews most commonly found in US grocery stores. Excellent all-purpose choice for cooking and snacking.
- Splits and Pieces: Broken kernels that carry the same flavor and nutrition as wholes at a lower price. Ideal for blending, chopping, and baking.
- Raw vs. Roasted: Raw cashews are lightly steamed during processing (truly raw cashews are not commercially available for safety reasons) and are the go-to for soaking and blending. Dry-roasted cashews have a deeper, nuttier flavor perfect for snacking.
Recipes using cashew
23 recipes across our recipe sites use cashew. A few favorites:
Cooking with cashew tonight?
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History & origin
The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is native to northeastern Brazil, where indigenous peoples had long harvested and eaten both the cashew apple and its seed. Portuguese explorers encountered the tree in the 1500s and carried it to their trading posts in India and East Africa, from which it spread across tropical Asia. By the 19th century, India had become a major processor of cashews, a role it still shares today with Vietnam and Ivory Coast. Cashews arrived in the United States in meaningful commercial quantities in the early 20th century and grew steadily in popularity throughout the mid-1900s.
How it’s made
The cashew nut is technically the seed of the cashew apple, a swollen pseudofruit that grows at the end of the fruit’s stem. Each cashew apple produces just one nut, encased in a hard double shell that contains cashew shell liquid (CNSL) — a caustic resinous oil related to poison ivy’s urushiol. Because of this, cashews must be carefully processed: the shells are steamed or roasted at high heat to neutralize the CNSL before workers (wearing protective gear) extract the inner kernel by hand or machine. The kernels are then dried, peeled of their thin seed coat, graded by size, and either sold raw (steam-treated) or further dry-roasted before packaging. This labor-intensive process is a key reason cashews cost more than many other nuts.
Good to know
- Cashews are always sold shelled — a truly raw, unprocessed cashew in its double shell would be dangerous to handle due to the caustic oil between the shell layers.
- The cashew apple that the nut hangs from is edible and popular in Brazil, where it’s juiced and eaten fresh, but it’s so fragile it almost never survives export.
- Cashews belong to the same botanical family as mangoes and poison ivy — Anacardiaceae.
- Despite being called a nut, the cashew is botanically a seed — the true fruit is the hard shell surrounding it.
- Vietnam and Ivory Coast are among the world’s leading cashew processors and exporters, while Brazil and several West African nations remain major growers.
