Cashews originate as cashew fruits; the shell of the fruit is taken off and the thin skin peeled off from the nut inside before we get the kernels we call cashew nuts. Thus, raw cashews refer to the cashew fruits as they appear on the trees, and the proper term for cashew nuts is cashew kernels.

Cashews originate as cashew fruits; the shell of the fruit is taken off and the thin skin peeled off from the nut inside before we get the kernels we call cashew nuts. Thus, raw cashews refer to the cashew fruits as they appear on the trees, and the proper term for cashew nuts is cashew kernels.