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Native to the northeast coast of Brazil, cashew was domesticated long before the arrival of Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century. It was "discovered" by European traders and explorers and first recorded in 1578; from Brazil it was taken to India and East Africa, where it soon became naturalized. In sixteenth-century Brazil, cashew fruits and their juice were taken by Europeans to treat fever, sweeten breath, and "conserve the stomach."
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Countries that grow and export cashews include Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela, the West Indies, Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya. The United States is the largest importer of cashew nuts.

Cashew nuts went to India and then into East Africa

Cashew was transoprted by European Explorers

The cashew tree produces many resources and products.The bark and leaves of the tree are used medicinally, and the cashew nut has international appeal and market value as a food. Even the shell around the nut is used medicinally and has industrial applications in the plastics and resin industries for its phenol content. In addition to being delicious, it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. The fruit is used to make highly-nutritive snacks and juices, and fruit extracts are now being used in body care products.

Since cashews were considered a vital food source to those who had access to it, businesses with the sole purpose of cultivating these plants formed. Factories and fields provided work for workers and farmers to replace workers with laborers.

Cashew nuts became even more invaluable after scientists discovered alternate uses for the cashew plant rather than just as a food source.

The medical products that it produce change the medicine field beacause it could fight influenza.

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