Anacardium occidentale is a tropical evergreen tree, which can produce cashew seeds and cashew apples. It can grow to 14 m (46 ft), but dwarf cashew fruits that grow to 6 m (20 ft) have been shown to be more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yield.

The species is native to northeastern Brazil. Portuguese colonists began exporting cashews as early as the 1550s. Cashew is mainly produced in Vietnam, Nigeria, India and Ivory Coast.

Cashew, commonly referred to as cashew, is widely eaten. It can be eaten alone, used in recipes or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter. Since World War II, cashew seed shells have produced derivatives that can be used in many applications, including lubricants, waterproofing, paint and weapons production. Cashew apple is a light red to yellow fruit. Its pulp can be processed into sweet and astringent juice drinks, or distilled into wine.

The cooking uses of cashew seeds in snacks and cooking are similar to those of all tree seeds called nuts.

Cashew is usually used in Indian and Pakistani dishes to decorate candy or curry, or to grind into paste to form the sauce base of curry (e.g. Colmar) or some candy (e.g. Kaju barfi). It is also used in the preparation of several Indian sweets and desserts in the form of powder. In Goan cuisine, roasted and unprocessed kernels are used to make curry and candy. Cashew nuts are also commonly used as a whole in Thailand and Chinese cuisine. In the Philippines, cashew is a well-known product of antipolo, which can be eaten together with Suriname. There is also a dessert called turrones de casuy in the province of Pampanga, which is a small almond cake wrapped in white pancakes. In Indonesia, baked cashew nuts and salt baked cashew nuts are called Kacang met or Kacang mede, while cashew apples are called jambu monyet.

In Mozambique, bolo polana is a cake that uses cashew powder and mashed potatoes as the main ingredients. This dessert is very popular in South Africa.

Cashew juice is very popular in Brazil. Brazilians prefer fruit to nuts. In Panama, cashew nuts can be cooked with water and sugar for a long time to make sweet, brown and paste desserts.