Cashew nuts are scientifically known as Anacardium occidentale and grow on cashew trees. A cashew tree is a large evergreen tree which can grow to a height of 14 meters and have short irregularly shaped trunks. A cashew tree produces both a seed which is commonly called cashew nut and a fruit called a cashew apple. Cashew apples have fewer uses such as making alcoholic drinks and purees. However, cashew nuts are more exploited and have numerous uses.
Studies have revealed that cashew nuts are highly nutritious seeds which contain numerous vitamins and minerals such as vitamins E, B and K and minerals such as copper, iron, potassium and magnesium. They are especially healthy when consumed as raw nuts since they don’t have numerous additive such as salt which increases sodium levels.
Cashew nuts are also a gem to people who are on a weight loss journey. Controlled amounts of cashews help people by increasing their satiety level, which means that they make you feel full and satisfied hence curb excess eating throughout the day.
Cashew Price in Japan
In 2022, cashew imports into Japan were worth approximately 82 million US Dollars. This was a slight decrease from the previous year. However, it is yet another record high volume.
The sharpest climb was from 2016 to 2017 when the import value rose from approximately 71 million US Dollars to approximately 108 million US Dollars. This was an increase of over 52%.
Here are the total values in import of cashews from Japan between 2013 and 2022.
Cashew Nuts Price per kg in Japan
The price of a kilo of cashew nuts in Japan varies between 887 Japanese Yen (6 USD) and 1479 Japanese Yen (10 USD). This is based on the average import price per kg. The wholesale price can go as high as 2366 Japanese Yen (16 USD).
Cashews Japan
Increasing consumption of cashew nuts in Japan can be attributed not only to their health benefits but also their sweet and buttery flavor. Cashew nuts are used to produce alternatives to dairy products such as cashew milk and cashew butter. These products are valuable to people who are allergic to dairy products, vegans and vegetarians. They are also considered to be healthier alternatives especially for products such as butter.
Additionally, they are used as ingredients in various sauces due to their crunchy nature which adds crunch to sauces. They also enhance taste in desserts since they have a sweet taste. Confectionery and baking industries use cashews in adding flavor to their products hence it is quite common to find cashew cakes and sweets.
Cashew Nuts Japan
There are 33 known varieties of cashew nuts. However, only 26 of them can be consumed. Cashew nuts undergo various processes before they can be consumed since they contain a toxic substance called urushiol.
The first process they go through is steaming then they you lay them out to dry. You must dry them correctly so as to get whole pieces which are much more valuable. After drying, the nuts are cracked to remove urushiol. You have to wear protective clothing to prevent direct contact.
Once they are cracked, the nuts are roasted in order to make it easier to remove the peel. They are brown when roasted but once the peel is removed they have a white color.
The processes that are mentioned above and combination of labor attribute to the high cost of cashew nuts making them more expensive than other nuts.
Final Note
The growing trend of cashew nut consumption is set to increase due to their health benefits and industrial benefits especially inn producing alternatives of dairy products. Stake holders in the industry can look forward to better prices in the future.