1842 en literatura

The cashew nut is the Fruit of the Anacardier ( Anacardium Western ), tree originating in the Brazilian Nordeste and its edible almond constitutes the principal product used of this plant. It is a Akène developing in first at the end of a juicy stalk and edible him also which is a False-fruit called Pomme of cajou.

The hull of nut is made up of two shells, one outside green and fine color, the other interns brown color and lasts, separated by a structure with cavities which contains a phenolic resin caustic consisted of 90% of acid anacardic and 10% of cardol called balsam of cajou . In the center of nut only one almond in the shape of half-moon from approximately three is Centimètre S length surrounded by a white film. It will become, after being roasted and being salted, “cashew nut” marketed and tasted with the Apéritif for example.

Collect and worldwide production

Discovered to Brazil by the Portuguese, the cashew tree is taken along by colonists in 1578 to the Mozambique, then in the state of the Kerala in India for finally spreading itself in other areas of the Asia. The culture since extended to other zones from the sphere, in particular the West Africa where the production, for climatic reasons, remains rather weak.

Harvest is carried out by collecting on the ground when the ripe apples fell from the tree. The nuts are then separated from the stalks which are generally left on the spot, unutilised. In India, first producer country with approximately 250 000 ton S annual of raw nuts (close to 60 000 T. of treated nuts), harvest take place in second half of the year. At the second rank the Vietnam with a production about 180 is placed; 000 T. treated since a few years on the spot. Then Brazil comes which produces in the neighborhoods of 160 000 T. collected in second half of year. In West Africa, area which generally does not carry out the treatment on the spot but exports its raw nuts towards India, the gathering begins in February and extends until October.

The market of sale of cashew nut lends to consume is mainly made up by the Europe and the North America.

Uses

Hull of nut

In Western Africa, mainly in Guinea-Bissau, the raw nut is used as a basis after Fermentation for the wine of cajou .

Hull:
The hull, the once withdrawn almond, is useful like material of heating for the Four S used in the treatment of the nuts (industrial treatment).

Film surrounding almond:
The film surrounding almond is burned like the hull or is used as a complement with the food of the Bétail.

Balsam of cajou

The properties of the resin called in English Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) and contained in the hull are such as it is made by it multiple uses in industry. It is thus employed in the manufacture of Encre S, varnished of protection against the devastating insects or waterproofing, of Insecticide S or of elements of friction of Véhicule S like the Frein S and the Embrayage S.

Almond of cajou

The almond is not consumed raw but is roasted and is not salted, in accompaniment with the alcoholic drinks at the time of the Apéritif. In crushed form, it enters the composition of several cooked dishes (Rôti vegetarian, Poulet with the cashew nuts, etc) or to decorate the salad S.

Almond is also extracted by pressing a unrefined olive oil used in Cosmétique or Pharmacologie, more rarely (because of its high cost) in the culinary preparations as a Edible oil.

Nutritional characteristics

The almond is rich in Vitamine S (B1,…), Trace element S (magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium,…), Protein S, Lipid S and fatty-acids mono-unsaturates which helps to reduce the rate of Cholestérol in the Sang.

Allergenic potential

Like the whole of the varieties of Nut, that of cajou, because of oleoresins which it contains, has an important allergenic potential but the cases of Allergie to this food are far from frequent and the extremely rare fatalities.

The international market of cashew nut

Since 1999 exists a regulation aiming at establishing commercial standards and of quality of almonds of cajou within the Member States of the EEC and UNO.

Quality

Standard CEE/ONU codifies the various aspects which the almonds intended for consumption can present.

Characteristic medical:

the almonds must be healthy and of Moisissure S, rancidity, clean (without their adherent film) and without insects, inter alia.

Integrity of the product:

* Whole: whose less than one eighth of almond is broken;

* Broken:

* Sections: at least three broken whole almond eighth;

* Split: in the direction length;

* Pieces: in addition to two pieces.

Classification:

*: almonds of higher quality, presenting only very light surface deteriorations;

* Category I: almonds of good quality being able to present some defects (color for example);

* Category II: almonds perfectly suited to consumption but having defects (insufficiently developed, black spots due to a too strong torrefaction, etc).

Calibration:

* Whole: Calibration is obligatory for the category Extra , but optional for categories I and II.

* Broken: classification according to the size of the pieces

* Large pieces;

* Small pieces;

* Very small pieces;

* Granules.

Tolerances:

It is tolerated within various classifications the presence of almonds of lower classes or presenting defects of a medical nature for example. The quantity of the acceptable errors is regulated and varies according to the class, value of reducing as quality increases.

national Regulations:

Certains country has a clean regulation to classify on a broader scale almonds according to their color, their gauge and their integrity.

* India: 33 different ranks were determined, including 26 exported. Among those and for whole almonds, the White Wholes (W number of gauge), Scorched Wholes (SW number of gauge) and Dessert Wholes (SSW and DW). Other ranks are available in quality Brisées .

* Brazil: defined by the Association off Food Industries (AFI) of New York, comprises it also many ranks of which, for quality Entières , W 450,320 or 240, this last number representing a fork of gauge, LW (gauges from 180 to 210) and SLW (gauges from 160 to 180), it being replaced to him by a figure (from 1 to 3) according to the uniformity of the color.

Production

< In construction >

Treatment of cashew nut

Artisanal treatment

The cashew nuts are the subject of an artisanal preparation on behalf of people with the modest incomes which market them locally. This treatment is different from that carried out industrially and uses the flammable properties of the resin contained in the hull. In addition, this process does not require salting of the almond which can be consumed such as it is after dehusking.

Example of preparation in Brazil: 1. On a fire of various pieces of Wood started by Pericarp, the fibrous envelope of the Coconut, is laid out a sheet steel over which the nuts are spread out;
2. the nuts are regularly stirred up to harmonize the temperature of it. After a few minutes, they blacken and of smoke starts to release itself some;
3. Little time after the resin of the hulls which under the effect of heat oozes of the external envelope, ignites violently;
4. After approximately five minutes of cooking, the sheet is turned over and the extinct nuts in sand;
5. Once cooled, the nuts are peeled manually by breaking the carbonized hull;
6. the grilled almonds obtained by this process do not have the same regularity of cooking that by industrial treatment but do not need on the other hand to be salted before their consumption.

Industrial treatment

The process making it possible to obtain roasted and salted cashew nut varies according to the areas and the companies implementing it, but the treatment, rather elaborate, follows the same stages appreciably:

After manual harvest, the raw nuts are spread out and dried approximately a week and are regularly stirred up so that drying is uniform.

The hulls are then softened in a bath of vapor at a temperature of 100 °C then made breakable by a passage of several minutes in a furnace with 125 °C, operation which makes it possible to release the balsam which is recovered at this time.

The nuts are then peeled, sometimes thanks to a manual press not to damage almonds, are removed from the film adhering to those and are gauged.

The almonds are then roasted first once, then sprinkled of a mixture of Eau, salt and gum of acacia and roasted once again to be removed from any trace of moisture which could harm their conservation.

In final stage conditioning in packing under Vide comes to avoid their rancidity.

See too

Internal bonds

Cashew tree: the tree.
Apple of cajou: the False-fruit carrying nut.

External bonds

Site of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Developme (UNCTAD): description, qualities, markets, economy, etc
Site of Savors of the world: medicinal culture, economy, properties, etc
Aprifel.com Site: nutritional characteristics.
Site of Nutrinaute: nutritional characteristics.
Site of Pharmacia Diagnoses: allergies.
Allergique.org Site: A case study of allergies in children.

Random links: