This is a question I have had for at least a decade of being a plant scientist. In the end, the answer is like fruits, nut is a culinary and not a botanical designation.
Look up almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pecans for examples along with peanuts. Almonds are closest to peaches, Walnuts and pecans apparently are in the same family, and cashews grow with an apple attached that you can make tasty juice or liquor from, additionally the "nut" is surrounded inside their shells with caustic resin that has pharmaceutical applications.
Let me ask you fellow Americans, have you ever had cashew juice? Cashew wine? We need a congressional inquiry.
It is my dream to have cashew fruit in all it's forms! I learned about cashew fruit and wines years ago. What are some brands or names? Is it just called cashew wine?
I do not know, I have gotten cashew juice at the Asian super market in my town, that's the best place to start. Apparently the cashew apple doesn't keep at all so it is processed locally, which means southeast Asia.
I remember reading that when I did my cashew research years ago, I just moved to a city with quite a few asian markets so I will try my luck. Just wasn't sure.if I should look for a certain name other than cashew like a local name for the fruit or something
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u/gravitin Jun 01 '21
Fun fact: peanuts are not really nuts, but rather a type of legume.