Today is National Cashew Day! Whether you like them plain, salted, roasted, or coated in sugar, cashews are a delicious treat! Although cashews are popular in Thai, Indian, and Chinese cuisines, they are actually native to Brazil. They have also been widely cultivated in India and Africa ever since the Portuguese exported them during the 16th century.

Did you know that parts of the cashew tree can be used for medicinal and manufacturing purposes? Acid from the cashew nutshells is effective in healing tooth abscesses and the tree's seeds can be ground up into a powder and used as an antivenom for snake bites. The oil from the nutshells is used in brake linings as well as in rubber and plastic materials.

To celebrate National Cashew Day, snack on some cashews or cook them into your favorite recipe!