Organic Cashew Nuts

Now in 1kg bags!

Our close friend David Wolfe let us into a little secret when he last spoke to Shazzie, and that was the name of the farm that produces the wonderful cashewnuts that we have been supplying to you. The owner of the plantation agreed to supply them to us too! As we are importing them directly from the farmer we have been able to get them organically certified in the EU, which means not only do you get the best raw cashew nuts, but they are also organic! Could it get any better? We have tasted the difference a thousand times, thanks to our American friend, and now -- due to all your lovely nagging -- they're available to you organically certified in the UK and Europe. Our only problem now is hiding them from Bryan!

These cashews, which are grown on the Island of Flores in the Eastern Indonesian Sea, are harvested and shelled without heating the rawcashew nut. Our associates in Indonesia use specially-designed tools to split open eachcashew shell by hand, leaving the cashew nut raw and fresh. These whole cashews with bud still intact will sprout and grow.

To show that these are really raw, check out the picture on the right. It's of a seedling, sprouted from one of these cashews!

To date, our supplier is the only company that produces organic raw cashew nuts to true raw food standards. The cashews are also shelled, sorted and packed by hand to maintain their extremely high quality.

In keeping with our ethos of supplying the most ethical products possible, our Indonesian associates are committed to supporting traditional cashew farmers through the development of social, ecological and economically sustainable supply chains.

Cashew Nut Content (per 100 g)

What we mean when we say truly raw

Cashew trees produce both a fruit ("apple") and a nut, and a valuable oil can be drawn from the nut shell. After the cashew flower blooms, a nut forms. The apple later swells between the nut shell and the stem. It takes two months for the cashewapple to ripen. When harvested, the apple can only keep for twenty-four hours before it begins to ferment. Although the fruit can be used for making many typical fruit products (jellies, jams, juice, wine and liquor), the apple is often discarded, in pursuit of the nut. If processed and stored properly, the cashew nut can be kept for a year or longer.

Most people experience the cashew in its processed, roasted form. Cashews in stores that are labelled as being "raw" are simply "not roasted." They are not truly raw as they have been steamed out of their shells. Few people know about the very delightful taste and nutritive quality of the cashew nut in its unprocessed raw form.

There is a toxic resin inside the shell layer. If the shell is not opened properly, the resin will get on the cashew nut, making it inedible. Most companies steam the shell open at a high temperature, thus cooking the cashew nut inside. Our associates in Indonesia use a special technique with specially-designed tools (without using any heat at all) to open the shell cleanly every time without ever exposing the cashewnut to the resin. The raw cashews are much sweeter, tastier, and nutritious than their cooked counterparts.