The shell of the cashew can be use in many ways. The shell of the cashew seed yields derivatives that can be used in many applications from lubricants to paints, and other parts of the tree have traditionally been used for snake-bites and other folk remedies.

The true fruit of the Cashew tree is the drupe that grows at the end of the Cashew apple, within this drupe is a single seed which is the Cashew nut.

In their raw form, the outer layer of the cashew fruit contains multiple toxins including anacardic acid, a powerful skin irritant similar to the toxin found in poison ivy.

The process of roasting the cashews destroys the toxins. When they are roasted, cashews change from their natural grey greenish color to the light brown nut sold in market.