The Kasjo of Konkani, the Cajou of the Luftines and the Belgians, is a tree of medium size, with a stout, white trunk, gray bark, purple interior, a sour smell, and astringent qualities. It is covered with dark-green branches that elegantly spread out.
The root is whitish, with a brown bark covered in thin filaments.
The leaves adhere to the branches in an orderly fashion. They are oblong-round, smooth (glabrous), of a common green color, with some veins protruding downward from the dense central part and running out to the sides. The tender leaves of this tree, when rubbed in the hands, are sticky and emit a fragrant odor. However, older leaves that fall off before they are fully matured turn red.The flowers are fragrant and exude a honeyed odor. They grow at the tips of branches in racemes. From the small green calyx, they are arranged in five pointed lobes with five smooth, reflexed petals that transition in color from greenish-yellow to red and finally to purple. The stamens are slender and yellow-green at the tips. These occupy the middle of the flower cavity, from which emerges the pistil (the female reproductive part), which later develops into the fruit.The fruits resemble pears in shape and size. They are smooth (glabrous), shiny, and change color as they ripen—first red, then green, and finally yellow. The flesh inside is greenish-yellow, spongy (fungous), filled with water, and surrounded by a thin skin. The fruit emits a yellowish smell and has a vinous (wine-like) taste but is sharp and astringent if not fully ripe. However, attached to one end of this fruit is an additional structure resembling a hare's kidney in shape and size. This structure has a hollow on one side covered with gray bark. Beneath this bark lies another pale core shaped like the entire fruit itself. This core is fragrant and has a sweet almond-like flavor with a softer taste. Between these two layers of bark lies a honeydew-like substance that is sharp and waxy in texture. Its flavor begins as mildly sweet but quickly becomes highly astringent, tingling the tongue and throat while maintaining its sharpness.This tree grows abundantly in Malabar (a region in India). In favorable years—specifically during August and September—it produces ripe fruit and remains productive for about thirty years.From the fruits of this tree, a drink can be extracted that becomes vinous (alcoholic) and intoxicating when properly fermented. The fruits are also eaten as delicacies; their flavor is as pleasing as almonds or pistachios when prepared correctly. However, they cannot be eaten raw because they immediately irritate the skin painfully if handled improperly or consumed unprocessed. Instead, they are opened using a knife or treated like pistachios by sprinkling them with ashes to make them edible. When consumed raw or improperly processed, they sting the throat due to their sharp and bitter taste. To mitigate this sharpness, they are cut into pieces and mixed with water or wine along with powdered seasoning. This preparation reduces their astringency and makes them more palatable.The inhabitants also eat the kernels after lightly toasting them as an aphrodisiac (to stimulate Venus). From the honey-like substance found in the bark of this tree, they extract an abundant amount of pungent oil used by painters to dye fabrics black with an indelible color. When wood is treated with this oil, it becomes resistant to rot and more durable. Additionally, this acrid oil is highly effective against skin conditions such as lichen planus or impetigo. Locals use it to treat scabies or kill worms by mixing it with excrement for application.Finally, consuming these kernels strengthens the stomach, aids digestion by promoting fermentation of food, and alleviates vomiting or nausea. The juice of these fruits is also used medicinally to treat diarrhea and diabetes.
Footnote for Picture:
This tree has been described by various authors but often imperfectly. However, Piso provides an accurate description in his book Natural History & Medicine of Brazil (Nat. & Med. Brasil.), Book 4, Chapter 6; likewise does Mantissa Aromatica (Mantiff. Aromat.), Chapter 16. Both works describe both the tree and its fruit in detail while noting that it is found in many places in Brazil where it is native under the name "Acajaiba."The fruit is commonly called "Acaju." Another species of cashew is described by Caspar Bauhin (Cafpar Bauhini). Rochefort refers to it as "Acajou" and identifies three varieties—one bearing fruit commonly known as Cajou.
