CASHEW NUT, GAJUS

This is one of the most popular nuts of tropical origin. In Malaysia, it is grown in sandy soils mainly in the East Coast. Cashew nut is a small spreading tree reaching to a height of up to 13 meters. The main stem is stout and short. The young leaves are edible. The cashew nut flowers, measuring about 1.2 cm across, appear normally after a spell of dry weather, with several flowering periods per year. The flowers are produced in bunches as a panicle, producing a scent. It takes about 4 years for tree grown from seed to bear fruit. The fleshy fruits are made up of 2 parts, about 7.5-10 cm long at the tip of which is a hard curved nut of commercial value. The nut must be heated (boiling or roasting) to destroy a poison which is an irritant: Plants can be propagated by seeds or by budding.