The main producing area for cashews is Mozambique in Africa, with smaller quantities also grown in China's Hainan and Yunnan provinces. Raw cashews are sun-dried for 2-3 days until their moisture content reaches a certain level, and then they are roasted to become the cashew nuts we eat.
Compared to other nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds, the most prominent characteristic of cashews is their relatively high sugar content, which accounts for about 25% of their total nutritional value. In contrast, hazelnuts have 15%, almonds have 10%, and walnuts have only 8%. Therefore, unprocessed cashews have a slightly sweet taste.
Cashews are 47% fat and 22% protein. They also contain vitamins and trace elements such as zinc, calcium, and iron. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated fatty acids, and the linoleic and linolenic acids in them can help prevent diseases such as arteriosclerosis and cerebral stroke. However, compared to other nuts, cashews have a slightly higher content of unhealthy saturated fatty acids, accounting for about 20%. Among the four major nuts, walnuts have the lowest saturated fat content at only 6%, while almonds have 10% and hazelnuts have 7%. Therefore, the consumption of cashews should be controlled appropriately to avoid eating too many.
Additionally, cashews contain multiple allergens and can cause allergic reactions in people with allergies. Therefore, people trying cashews for the first time should not eat too many. It is best to eat one or two nuts first, wait for ten minutes, and then continue if no allergic reaction occurs.