Today, November 23, 2014, is National Cashew Day. Cashew nuts are a popular snack and food source. Cashews, unlike other oily tree nuts, contain starch to about 10% of their weight. The shell of the cashew nut is toxic, which is why the shell is removed before it is sold to consumers. Originally native to northeastern Brazil, the tree is now widely grown in tropical regions, India and Nigeria being major producers, in addition to Vietnam, the Ivory Coast, and Indonesia.
