Nuts

In Shell

In-shell cashew is the raw cashew nut as harvested and traded—kernel still locked inside the hard shell that also holds caustic shell liquid. Unlike walnuts or almonds, this is rarely a casual table-cracking snack. Most “in-shell” volume moves as raw material from African and Asian farms to industrial shelling plants in Vietnam, India, and elsewhere. Sound shells protect the meat during long shipping if kept dry; holes, mould, or a dusty rattle signal trouble. Home cooks should not treat field-raw in-shell cashews like peanuts on a campfire. When specialty packs claim ready-to-open in-shell cashews, follow the producer’s safety guidance—commercial pre-treatment may already have managed risk. Provide a bowl for shell waste if you do open them, and inspect meats carefully for fragments. For everyday cooking, shelled kernels remain the practical retail form; in-shell stock is primarily a trade and processing category.