Green Drink Reviews

Caju: The Forgotten Fruit

March 1st, 2008

I’ll never forget visiting the Northeast Region of Brazil and walking under the shade of Brazil’s largest Caju tree, which is actually more like a grove, since it consists of many entangled trees, all sprouting from the same root structure. The fruit dangles from the branches like golden Christmas ornaments.

Caju is a fruit that is easily encountered in the Northeast Region of Brazil. It ripens to a glowing reddish-yellow with a hook-shaped seed at the bottom. That seed, not the fruit itself, is what most people know about this plant, whose scientific name is Anacardium occidentalis. This seed is highly valued and well known throughout the world — after a bit of roasting and salting — as the cashew nut. So forgotten is the fruit of this plant that growers in Brazil consider the seed to be the true fruit.

But the Caju fruit itself provides much more, in terms of health benefits, than its tasty seed. It has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and febrifuge (fever reducing) qualities. Plus, it provides natural energy and is said to stimulate the libido. It also has anti-parasitic properties and is useful for combating intestinal problems and gastric ulcers. Its antifungal and antiviral qualities are useful for healing warts.

In Brazil, it’s used to cure diarrhea and anemia, treat asthma and bronchitis, and fix urinary problems. It is used in the treatment of muscular fatigue, diabetes, skin lesions, eczema and psoriasis. It’s high vitamin C levels make it a widely used cure for colds and flu.

Caju’s chemical components include cardol, anacardol acids, limonene, folacin, myristic acid, phytosterols, quercetin-glycoside, stearic acid, squalene, salicylic acid, leucine, and others. The fruit is rich in iron, calcium, B-complex vitamins and C vitamins.

Caju juice has been used for centuries by the natives of Brazil’s Northeast Region. The name Caju comes from the Tupi-Guarani language, and means “year.” This is because the Tupi-Guarani people collected one seed each season to count the number of years that have passed and to keep track of their ages.

In the trunk of the Caju tree is a resin known as “Arabian gum,” which is used as an insect repellent by the people of the region. And the sap of this remarkable tree is used as a dye and, by some, as a natural birth control supplement.

Today Caju juice is available in just about any supermarket in Brazil for less then one dollar — either in concentrate or frozen pulp. It’s one of the most common and least expensive juices in the country. And it’s hardly known abroad.

If you travel to the Northeast of Brazil, you’ll surely encounter some of the many products made with the Caju fruit — products like liqueur, jelly, Caju brandy, honey, and even Caju syrup.

Caju season is from November to January, so make plans to spend your next Christmas vacation under one of Brazil’s shady Caju trees.

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