Cashew nuts have long been famous not only for their rich, fatty, crispy flavor but also for their versatility in applications - from family dishes, high-end restaurants to deep processing and export industries. This type of nut contains a lot of protein, vitamin B1, magnesium, iron, and antioxidants.

Not only delicious, cashews also help lower cholesterol, good for the heart, blood pressure and immune system. This is the reason why more and more markets are evaluating cashews as a superfood, comparable to almonds or walnuts. Let's learn about the uses of this nut, behind the hard shell is a billion-dollar industry, contributing to shaping the position of Vietnamese agricultural products on the world map.

Dried cashews – a popular form of consumption worldwide

In the international market, dried cashew nuts account for the largest proportion of consumption. In China - a rapidly growing market, cashew nuts are often marinated in chili, roasted crispy, vacuum-packed, and sold in high-end retail chains. In the US and Europe, salted, butter- or honey-roasted cashew nuts are popular snacks among office workers and middle-class families.

In particular, cashew nuts of type W180 and W210 - large, even, and less broken - are often chosen to serve the high-end segment.

Cashew powder – flexible ingredient in processing

Not only using whole seeds, broken cashews, excess seeds or seeds that do not meet the standard form will be ground into cashew powder - an ingredient for biscuits, ice cream, sauces, vegetarian food lines, and even seasoning powder in the industrial food industry.

In Korea and Japan, cashew powder is used to make vegetarian diet snacks, both maintaining the characteristic fatty flavor and meeting the need for "clean - healthy - low fat".

Cashews in Middle Eastern, Indian and Southeast Asian Cuisine

In the Middle East, cashews are often stir-fried with basmati rice, mixed into curries, or roasted and sprinkled on soups. In Indian cuisine, cashew curry is a traditional vegetarian dish that uses cashews as its main ingredient. In Thailand and Malaysia, cashew chicken, cashew noodles, and cashew salad are popular dishes ranging from the common to the high-end.

In Vietnam, many restaurants have begun to exploit dishes with cashew nuts such as pan-fried salmon with cashew butter sauce, green mango salad with roasted cashew nuts, oatmeal porridge with cashew milk, or cashew nut and longan sweet soup - combinations that are both unique and enhance the value of domestic cuisine.

Cashew oil – premium vegetable fat

Cashew oil is extracted from the cashew kernel – not to be confused with cashew shell oil (CNSL) which is used in industry. Cashew oil for food is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, omega-9, vitamin E and phytosterols. This oil is light in color, has a mild flavor, and is used in ice cream, vegan butter, salad dressings, high-end cakes or as a base oil in organic food lines.

According to Statista's forecast, by 2026, the cashew market could account for up to 29% of the global market share of dried nuts - a sign that Vietnam has every opportunity to maintain its leading position if it continues to promote product diversification, develop deep processing, and even build a national culinary brand associated with cashews.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/hat-dieu-viet-tu-nong-trai-toi-ban-an-the-gioi-d748355.html