Cajui, Giant cashew
Anacardium giganteum
Family: Anacardiaceae
What it is like
An evergreen tree. It grows 25-30 m high. The trunk is 50-90 cm across. The bark is almost smooth. The leaves are 14-20 cm long and 8-12 cm wide. The flowers are pink but turn red. They have a scent. The fruit stalk becomes large and soft. It is 4 cm long. The nut is attached to it.
There are 8-11 Anacardium species. They grow in tropical America.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in drier areas in the Amazon in Brazil. It suits the hot humid tropical lowlands.
Countries/locations it is found in
Amazon, Bolivia (country/location of origin), Brazil (country/location of origin), Colombia, Guianas, Guyana, Peru, South America, Suriname, Venezuela
How it is used for food
The fleshy enlarged flower stalks are eaten green, cooked or roasted. They are also made into an alcoholic beverage. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The nuts are roasted and eaten.
The fruit or fattened fruit stalk is popular.
Edible parts
Nuts, flower stalk, fruit
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. The ripe fruit are harvested and the nut removed for planting. The nut is soaked in water for 48 hours before planting, changing the water each 8 hours. Seeds germinate in 15-25 days. They are kept in light shade until planted in the field.
Plants grow at a moderate rate. They can be 2 m tall in 2 years. The stalk ripens within 3-4 months during the rainy season.
Its other names
Local names
Akayu-u, Boesi-kasjpe, Cajuacu, Cajuda-mata, Caju do matto, Hubudi, Merehi, Merey, Oloi, Sacha casho, Sacha cashu, Ubudi