A VER
SATILE NUT
Sri Lankens are unanimous in their selection of the cashew nut as the queen of all local delicacies. The Cadju, as it is known locally, is as old as the land itself. Sri Lanka is one of the few countries where cashew trees thrive. Stemming from the same family as the Mongo, the Anacardium family, a cashew tree is fair-sized with thick green foliage, and begins to bear fruit in its sixth year. The cashew nut protrudes from the cashew apple, a pear-shaped fruit which when ripe turns various hues red.
The cadju is still gathered the old fashioned way, by hand. It grows best in the dry zone, and small holders mainly in the north, north-western and north-eastern regions wait until the ripe apple falls off the tree and then go around with their large cane baskets to collect the nut with the brown wrinkled outer skin.
Although the government owned Cashew Corporation has several factories where cashew nuts are processed using modern technology, in rural homes it is still a family and community-based project,
The women are left to collect and process the nuts while their husbands tend to their home plots or small businesses. After the fruit is gathered, the cashew nut is cracked using an iron rod. This has to be done very carefully, so as to keep the kernel intact. This skill is passed on from mother to daughter and girls as young as 10 are able to break the shells expertly.
The cashew is then placed in a very hot oven to reduce the moisture content, and when cool, the skin is peeled and the nuts packeted. The ovens used in the village are seen as community property, and the women take turns to use the single oven, carefully tending the fire underneath the little iron box.
The cashew apple has an astringent juice which could be used in jams, chutneys and even drinks. The cashew nut shell liquid which is a type of oil extracted from the shell is used for the extraction of varnish, painting of brake linings, and even as an insecticide. But the heart of the cashew nut, the kernel, remains the winner,
One of the most nutritional nuts in the world, the cashew has 21 percent of vegetable proteins, 47 percent fat of which 82 percent is unsaturated fatty acids which help build up the tissues, and the lack of which can cause diabetes and kidney disorders. The cashew has also a very low percentage of carbohydrates which make it a perfect health food.
Doctors recommend the cashew nut for its high level of polyunsaturated fats which help to lower the level of cholesterol in the bold. It also has a rich source of minerals such as calcium, phosphorous and iron which is recommended for liver and bladder ailments.
The cashew nut is must in most Sri Lankan sweet meats. Bibikkan, milk toffee, and the Muslim dish of Watalappan are incomplete without this delicious nut. And the cadju curry is reserved for special occasions in most homes. The cashew nut has a distinctive flavor which when added to other ingredients imparts its special flavor to enhance the dish, The traditional Christmas cake in Sri Lanka also uses the cashew nut, mainly as a substitute for almonds.
The most popular cashew nut is probably the roasted kind. The peeled nut is lightly roasted in a hot oven and then the nuts are dusted with chilie powder, The spicy taste of the chilie is an excellent accompaniment to the cadju, and it has becomes a favorite snack among Sri Lankans.
The origins of the cashew tree have been difficult to trace and though it grows abundantly in other South Asian countries, there is no record of the cashew saplings being brought to Sri Lanka. The cashew trees have been growing wild all over the dry zone region, and its full potential was not realized until a few decades ago.
No wars have been fought over this nut, and there are no legends about it either. But old wives tales abound. One says that a young girl who yearns for womanly curves should include the cadju in her daily diet. Another recommends it as the best food for pregnant mothers. Although there is no medical proof of this, many women follow instructions anyway.
The cashew nut is fast becoming a lucrative export venture with the world demand exceeding 88,000 tons of nuts. In an endeavour to meet this demand, a number of plantations varying in size from 4,500 to 5,000 acres have been opened in the coastal regions of the north and east. The largest such plantation a Kondachchi is close to the historic site of the first settlers landing in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan cuisine regards the cashew nut as indispensable. And so do many connoisseurs. The cadju may be a relatively new nut but it is fast becoming a rival to old time favorites like pistachio and almonds. Thus, in Sri Lanka the cashew nut has captured the taste buds of everyone for all time 
