Cashew nut is one of the most expensive dry fruits. Sourced from the cashew tree, the nut is mainly cultivated in Brazil and India. We know you absolutely love those crunchy and delicious silky cashews but not every one of us can afford them. Thanks to their high rates. Cashew nuts cost almost 5 times more than peanuts even though their demand has increased significantly over the years. Do you know why? Let’s find out together.
Reason Why Kaju or Cashew Nuts Costs Too Much
Cashews’ extraction process is what makes them expensive. The longer and difficult any food item’s extraction process is, the higher their rates are. When it comes to unsheathing cashews and processing them, a lot of manpower is required. Also, the process is quite risky and demanding.
You cannot touch cashews with bare hands without processing them. Their seeds are surrounded by a pepper-like-looking shell containing toxic oils called Anacardic acid. It is usually found in poison ivy and you will be surprised to know that the cashew tree also belongs to the family of poison ivy.
Also, cashew shells contain a compound called Urushiol that’s equally poisonous and can cause burns, or allergy reaction if touched with bare hands. That is why it is advised not to eat cashew nuts without processing otherwise it can be fatal. It is the processing that makes cashew nuts edible.
Cashews fruits are plucked one by one manually and then segregated with hands. Then the shell is opened and sun-dried. Opening the shells is again dangerous as the covering releases poisonous oils during the process and one also needs to make sure that the nuts are not broken.
Now, you can imagine the kind of expertise and manpower extraction of cashews require. We hope you won’t question their price from now on.