The Word’s Largest Cashew Tree
BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN BRAZIL
THE world’s largest? According to Guinness O Livro dos Recordes 1994, it may well be. Located near the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, the cashew tree here pictured is certainly the largest in Brazil. Indeed, this single tree presently covers the area of a large city block [7,300m2]—equivalent to 70 average-size cashew trees!
The cashew tree is an evergreen that usually ranges in size from a small shrub to a tree some 65 feet [20 m] in height. The small flowers of the cashew tree contrast vividly with its large, leathery leaves. Its edible seed is the delicious cashew nut, which appears to have been forcibly sunk into a pear-shaped fruit called the cashew apple. Strangely enough, the cashew tree is related to poison ivy, and those who handle it must exercise care. The nut has two shells, and between these shells there is an oil that can cause blisters on the skin. Thankfully, the roasting process removes the nut’s poisonous properties.
Oddly, the kidney-shaped nut appears to grow outside the fruit, as though its Creator forgot the nut and glued it on afterward. The apple supports the nut. Therefore, some call the nut the real fruit of the tree. In any case, just think, the next time you eat cashew nuts, you may be eating the produce of the world’s largest cashew tree!