Why aren't cashews ever sold in their shells?

lanfranco

Because between the inner and outer shells of the cashew there is a caustic substance that can blister the mouth. Both shells must therefore be removed: http://www.foodreference.com/html/fcashews.html Jul 10 05, 8:45 AM

barker111

The cashew is actually a seed not a nut. The cashew is a seed of a pear-shaped fruit, the cashew apple, which is itself edible. The cashew seed hangs at the lower end of the fruit, vulnerable and exposed. Cashews grow not on trees, but on tropical shrubs, similar to sumac plants. A hard or leathery shell is what differentiates a nut from a seed. Kernals with thin, soft shells, such as pumpkins and sunflowers, are properly called seeds. Jul 11 05, 5:10 AM