Roasted and hickory wood smoked cashews

All about your roasted and hickory wood smoked cashews...

Cashews have always been a nutritious and easily accessible snack, but before we get into the health benefits of cashew nuts, there’s something you must know. Cashew nuts are not nuts at all; they are in fact the seeds of the flowering cashew plant! The Cashew tree, or Anacardium occidentale is a tropical evergreen tree which was discovered in Brazil in 1558. 

View our full range here: Smoked & roasted cashews – Smoky barrel jerky

Harvesting and processing 

Cashews are harvested mostly in the countries of the global south, especially in India, which is the leading country in the world in terms of cashew production area (923,000 ha) and production itself (613,000 tonnes). 

The majority of workers in the cashew industry are women, in most cases, they are completely dependent on this job, as it is the only way to earn money in their region and sustain their livelihoods. The salary is low, and the workers are paid by volume, so speed is crucial at every stage of the manufacturing process. 

In the beginning, women collect yellow fruits, on which cashews are found. They can be separated easily, but the real work just starts from there. After harvesting, the nuts have to be cut in half with special equipment. From that point, all of the work is done entirely by hand. 

Sustainable and ethical practices 

We have taken our time in sourcing an ethical and sustainable supplier of cashews to work with but many of the cheaper suppliers were the opposite, offering cashews sourced from farms where no PPE is supplied and the workers paid poorly due to cost-cutting. If not processed correctly, an oil called urushiol in the cashew plant can cause dermatitis and this is unacceptable as a responsible business. 

We source our cashews from Suma, a Yorkshire based co-operative that was established in 1977. They have been built on integrity and equality for over forty years, and that remains at the heart of who they are. They can be trusted to do the homework on ethical issues, so our customer can be safe in the knowledge that our supplier endeavours to ensure all of their cashews are ethically and responsibly sourced. 

Health benefits 

Cashew nuts may be small, but their nutritional value is mighty! 

Like many of their nutty counterparts, the cashew nut is a great source of protein; cashew nuts contain 15.7g of protein per 100g. Cashews are also rich in magnesium, a mineral which is thought to improve recall and delay, age-related memory loss. 

An average portion of cashews contains: 

  • 98% of your daily copper, which can help blood cells form, improve growth, help the brain to develop, and protect the immune system.
  • 34% of your daily phosphorus, which helps maintain bone and teeth health.
  • 29% of your daily manganese, which helps the body perform chemical reactions, like converting food into energy.
  • 28% of your daily magnesium, which helps thyroid glands release the right hormones. 

Nutritional information per 28g cashews: 

  • Calories: 157
  • Fat: 12g
  • Sodium: 3.4mg
  • Carbohydrates: 8.6g
  • Fiber: 0.9g
  • Sugars: 1.7g
  • Protein: 5.2g
  • Iron: 1.9mg
  • Magnesium: 82.9mg
  • Copper: 0.6mg
  • Manganese: 0.5mg
  • Vitamin B6: 0.1mg
  • Vitamin K: 9.7mcg