The true fruit of the cashew plant is the kidney or boxing-glove-shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple.
While most people think of the cashew apple as the fruit, it is actually an enlarged stem (peduncle) called a pseudo-fruit or false fruit. The cashew nut, which we commonly eat, develops inside the drupe, which is the actual fruit. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel swells to become the cashew apple.
Here's a breakdown:
- Cashew Apple: This is the fleshy, pear-shaped structure. It's a pseudo-fruit, meaning it's not derived from the ovary of the cashew flower.
- Cashew Nut (in Drupe): This is the kidney-shaped nut attached to the end of the cashew apple. It's contained within a hard shell that's part of the drupe - the true fruit.
Therefore, the cashew nut we consume is technically a seed inside a fruit (the drupe), attached to a pseudo-fruit (the cashew apple).
