cashew apple

The soft, swollen, pear-shaped edible stalk of the fruit of the cashew.

Native to Brazil, India and the West Indies, this pear-shaped apple has a yellow-orange skin that is often blushed with touches of red. The flesh is tart and astringent and though not favored for out-of-hand eating, is used to make wine, liqueur and vinegar. The cashew apple's biggest gift to the world is the cashew nut which grows on the outside of the apple at its base. Cashew apples are not imported to the United States.