Why is cashew so expensive
Cashew (scientific name: Anacardium occidentale) is a kidney-shaped nut, belonging to the genus Cashew in the order Lacertidae. Because of its nut is kidney-shaped and named. Cashew is the seed within the fruit, the fruit is ripe fragrant, sweet as honey, crisp and tasty, for the world famous one of the four dried fruits. Cashews contain a high calorie content, the source of calories is mainly fat, followed by carbohydrates and protein.
1, the cashew tree is planted in a small range, the yield is small. Cashew nuts are mainly grown in tropical areas, and there are a small number of plants in the south of China. And each cashew tree on the fruit is also very little, a fruit on the knot only a cashew, which leads to a cashew nut production is very small, can not meet the market demand, the price will naturally be on the high side.
2, cashew processing procedures are complicated. Cashew nuts from drying to peeling, and then to packaging, each process is very cumbersome, an inattention made of cashew nuts can not eat. According to statistics, the raw cashew nut kernel yield rate of 24%. Processing cumbersome, low output rate, are important factors affecting the price of cashew nuts.
3, cashews have high nutritional value. Cashews and walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and known as the world's four nuts, is a nutritional value and health effects are very good nut food, young and old. It is also because of its high value in all aspects, the natural high price is justified.
4, high freight costs. Because the history and scope of cashew cultivation in China is slightly less than other countries, so most of the cashews sold on the domestic market are imported products, so that the cost also becomes higher, which is why the imported ones are more expensive than the domestic ones.
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Where cashews grow
Cashews are said to be native to Brazil. Its tree height and crown diameter can reach about 10 meters. It first grows fruit (nuts), and when the fruit grows, it starts to grow the fruit above the fruit (Cashew Apples). That cashew apple hustle and bustle, in fact, it is a by-product, and very perishable, the local people to make it into preserves or jam, the juice is extracted with medicinal value. Cashews have two layers of hard shells, and the oil between the shells is toxic, which is a thorny issue in the cashew processing industry.
Figure 1, first grow the fruit (nuts), cashew nuts above the fruit (cashew apples) but very small.
Figure 2, the cashew grows before the cashew apples above it begin to grow, growing larger than the cashew and brightly colored, giving it the appearance of being the main attraction.
The fruit is a nut, shaped like a stubby bean, sometimes more than 2.5 centimeters long, and oddly shaped as if one end were pressed into a pear-shaped, puffy, fleshy stalk. The stalk is actually three times larger than the nut. The fruit stalk is light red or yellow, with two layers of skin (or shell), the outer shell is thin, slightly elastic, solid, smooth surface like glass, olive green before maturity, strawberry red after maturity; the inner shell is hard. There is brown oil between the two layers of shell, skin contact can cause water sores. There is a strong and unique flavor. In the international market with lentils, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts together, and listed as the world's four major dry fruits.
Nutritional value
The kernel is rich in nutrients, mostly used in the production of cashew chocolate, snacks and fried salted food. In addition, cashew kernels can be pressed oil, cashew kernel oil is the best cooking oil, oil cake is excellent feed. By-products are shell liquid, fruit pear and so on. Shell liquid is a dry oil, can be made of high-grade paint, color film colored agent, synthetic rubber and so on.
Cashew nuts are valuable dried fruit and senior dishes, containing protein up to 21%, oil content rate of 40%, a variety of vitamin content is also very high. In international trade, each ton of cashew nuts worth more than 5000 U.S. dollars, worthy of the world's "four nuts" (walnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts) one. Cashew nutshell oil rate of 11%, cashew oil can be polymerized to produce synthetic rubber. With cashew nut oil paint furniture can be resistant to high temperatures, according to reports, the U.S. space shuttle, is to use scientifically processed cashew nut oil as the fuselage protective layer of paint.
Cashews are high in calories, and their calorie source is mainly fat, followed by carbohydrates and protein. The fatty acids of cashew nuts are mainly unsaturated fatty acids, of which oleic acid accounts for 90% of the unsaturated fatty acids, and linoleic acid accounts for only 10%, therefore, cashew nuts are less likely to be rancid compared to other nuts rich in linoleic acid.
The protein contained in cashews is twice as much as that of the average cereal crop, and the types of amino acids contained are complementary to the types of amino acids found in cereals.