Cashews are a popular snack and ingredient, yet their botanical identity often sparks confusion. Many people wonder if a cashew is truly a fruit or a nut. This common misconception arises from the cashew’s unique growth habit and culinary applications, differing significantly from its strict scientific classification.
The Botanical Classification of Cashews
From a botanical perspective, a “fruit” is the mature ovary of a flowering plant, containing the seed or seeds, while a “nut” is a specific type of dry fruit with a hard shell, typically enclosing a single seed that does not open at maturity. The edible cashew, often called a “nut,” is not a true botanical nut. Instead, it is botanically classified as a seed.
This seed is found inside a kidney-shaped drupe, the cashew tree’s true fruit. A drupe is a fleshy fruit with a hard, stony shell surrounding the seed, similar to a peach or an olive. Thus, the cashew we consume is the seed of a drupe, not a true nut like an acorn or hazelnut.
The Culinary Classification of Cashews
Despite its botanical classification as a seed, the cashew is overwhelmingly used as a “nut” in culinary contexts. Its application in cooking, baking, and as a snack aligns with how other culinary nuts are used. Cashews are found in trail mixes, stir-fries, and granola, and can be processed into spreads like cashew butter.
This culinary grouping stems from the cashew’s similar taste, texture, and nutritional profile to other tree nuts. Cashews are rich in healthy fats and protein, offering a satisfying crunch and subtly sweet flavor, making them interchangeable with many true nuts in recipes. The culinary world prioritizes usage, taste, and nutritional attributes over strict botanical definitions.
How Cashews Grow
The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) produces a structure commonly known as the “cashew apple,” which is a fleshy, pear-shaped or oval-shaped swollen stem. This vibrant “apple” is an accessory fruit, meaning it does not develop directly from the flower’s ovary.
The cashew tree’s true fruit, a kidney-shaped drupe containing the edible seed, grows externally at the end of this cashew apple. The seed, the “cashew nut” we eat, is encased in a double shell containing a caustic substance, requiring careful processing before consumption. This unique arrangement, where the seed hangs outside the larger accessory fruit, contributes to its botanical misunderstanding.