You may be familiar with the beige cashew nuts, they are delicious and nutritious snacks enjoyed in many parts of the world, even in areas without cashew trees. But have you ever given enough attention to the main fruit from the tree? We don’t always talk about the drupes as the seeds always grab all the attention. But the fruits are also equally interesting especially their vibrant colourations.
All cashew apples start out with a light lime or deeper forest green colouration and then change hues as they ripen. If you paid enough attention to the fruits, you must have wondered at one point why some ripe cashew apples have deep red colours, while others are a pale yellow or vivid orange.
ALT: Red Cashew Apples Hanging From a Tree
Exploring the Colour Variations
To understand why there are multiple colour variations of ripe cashew drupes, let’s take a peek into plant pigments, how they are formed and their effects on fruit colouration.
Two natural compounds are responsible for the pigmentation in cashew fruits, these are Anthocyanins and carotenoid pigments.
Anthocyanins: These water-soluble pigments are responsible for the red, purple, and blue hues observed in many fruits and vegetables. In cashew apples, anthocyanins contribute to the vibrant red tones seen in some varieties. Similarly, the vibrant reds in cranberries or blueberries come from anthocyanins.
Carotenoids: These are the pigments responsible for the vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds found in many fruits and vegetables. In cashews, increased carotenoid concentration leads to an orange hue. Carrots, for instance, get their orange colour from beta-carotene, a type of carotenoid.
Here’s a breakdown of the 3 cashew colour variations and their pigment content.
- Yellow cashews: These have the lowest concentration of both carotenoids and anthocyanins.
- Orange cashews: These have a higher concentration of carotenoids compared to anthocyanins.
- Red cashews: These have the highest concentration of anthocyanins, with potentially some carotenoids present.
ALT: Greenish-Yellow Cashew Apples Hanging From a Tree
Other Factors That Influence Cashaw Colour Variations
While the Anthocyanins and carotenoid compounds are primarily responsible for cashew colour, the level of ripeness and environmental factors may also influence the colour of the ripe drupes.
Environmental Factors
Soil composition, exposure to sunlight, climate conditions, and other environmental factors can influence the pigmentation in cashew apples.
- Soil Composition: Nutrient-rich soils can enhance pigment production in cashew apples, leading to more vibrant and intense colours.
- Sunlight Exposure: Adequate sunlight exposure promotes photosynthesis and the synthesis of pigments in fruit tissues. Cashew apples that get ample sunlight tend to develop richer colours.
- Climate: Factors such as temperature and humidity can influence the rate of ripening and pigment accumulation in cashew apples, affecting their final coloration.
It’s important to note that colour variations in cashews are entirely natural and don’t affect their taste or quality. In most cases, the differences merely indicate the abundance or lack of some compounds in the fruit.
The next time you encounter a colorful cashew, it’s not necessarily a different species of cashew than what you’re used to seeing, neither is it more or less nutritious, and it definitely doesn’t mean something is wrong with the fruit or tree. So, feel free to savour a tasty red cashew as you would enjoy a yellow one.
