Cashew fruit is also called cashew apple. It is the fleshy part attached to the cashew nut. It is a soft fruit which is high in nutrients and contains 5 times more vitamin C than an orange. Cashew fruits are very fragile and have a short shelf life. Once ripe, they are sweet and juicy, but have a very high tannin content.
They can be eaten fresh, cooked in curries, or fermented into vinegar, as well as into alcoholic drinks. They are also used to make juice, preserves, chutneys and jams.
The shell of the cashew nut is toxic, which is why cashews are always sold shelled.