Bhakshanam

Cashew fruit

Its hot in Kerala, and it was a shortest possible vacation at Kannur, with our second little one.  The humidity was choking unable to breath deep.  Little one’s visit to his great grandparents to take their blessings was amazing moment.

But this summer, there was something more to do. It is a business long forgotten after childhood, a cashew nut project.  Kashuvandi as it is called locally is is a major cash crop in Kerala.  Kashumanga is the fruit, for insensitive tongue.  The fruit has distinct odour and rough taste.  Locally they make wine out of it.

As for the nut, its inside the cashew seed attached to the fruit and you literally have to dig in few layers of seed to meet the nut. Its ‘hard to crack the nut’.  There is small time process locally made to get freshly roasted edible nuts which ofcourse requires enough patience.  But the best of all is if you are single handed in this project, like pluck the fruit burn the cashew seed and take the nut out and eat it too, there you are, you know how to survive and enjoy as well !!!

The process goes like this,  first of all you have to go battling all the ants that are climbing the cashew tree, and pluck few of those fruit. And take out the see part of it. These seeds and dried up in the sun for few days.  Once the color changes from fresh green to raw brown, it is put in adupp or firewood stove, where you have hot coal.  Once the cashew seed gain its black burnt texture, it is removed and kept for cooling.  Then each of the shell is broken from the top to take care not to damage the nut inside.  Then come a layer of thin skin attached to nut has to be peeled out carefully.  Now the nut is ready for eating.

If you are lucky enough, probably staying away from family, this is picked and packed and sent to you. Certainly to make a few hundred grams of cashew you need to have enormous patience.