Anacardium occidentale L.
One of the main gastronomic symbols of the Brazilian Northeast, the cashew nut is the actual fruit of cashew trees, spread across states like Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão and Bahia. The fleshy and juicy cashew apple is actually the fruit’s “stalk”. Once shelled and roasted, cashew nuts can be consumed in several ways: on their own, with or without salt, whole or ground, and as an ingredient in savory and sweet dishes, pastries, and confections of all kinds. High in unsaturated fats, which are beneficial for the organism, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc, it is the less caloric of all nuts. In some tourist cities like Fortaleza, stalls at fairs and markets sell candied cashew nuts in different flavors, such as cappuccino, sesame seed and caramel.
