Cashew Tropical Juice Drink

Cashew Tropical Juice

Processing cashew apples for their juice is not that common in Nigeria. I have not heard of any of my friends and family or colleagues in the culinary art for that matter, that makes juice from cashew apples or even use cashew juice in any of their recipes.

I know this cannot be because the fruit is not in abundance in Nigeria because it is. In fact, Nigeria is the 4th largest producer/exporter of cashew in Africa and 7th in the world...! I think it might be because we have not been that adventurous enough. Or quite simply, we don't know what to do with the fruit other than eat the fibrous apples while fresh and make nuts from its seeds! (Read more about Cashew Apples here)

Some may argue that cashew juice is not very popular because of its taste. The juice is quite high in

Fresh Cashew Apples

tannins, tart and rather astringent. Eating too much fresh cashew or drinking a large quantity of its juice can actually blister the tongue. That said, I have personally noticed that with a little processing, the harshness can be reduce to create a mellow and delicious refreshing drink.

In places like Brazil and India, cashew apples have been successfully used, in combination with other ingredients, to make wine, jam, juice drinks and cocktails.

My post today demonstrates how cashew juice can be used to create a pretty exciting tropical juice drink. I found that freshly made cashew juice actually looks and feels a little like lemon juice. The tastes are miles apart yet there is something comparable about both. It might be the astringent properties that they both possess. I imagine cashew juice can be an effective substitute for lemon juice ...!?

Served chilled, I totally enjoyed this drink and I can recommend it any day. It has a noticeably different taste and also has a cleansing and refreshing effect on the palette.

Give some a try. Perhaps you would discover the reasons whey Pepsico is now looking into incorporate cashew juice into its some of its new product...!


What you need

• 6 cashew apples
• 1 medium sized very ripe pineapple (contributes sweetness)
• 3-4 large ripe mangoes (contributes sweetness and body to the juice)
• 3-4 large carrots (contributes the exciting colour and helps to adjust the consistency of the juice)
• 2 cups of bottled spring water 

What to do

• Start by prepping all the fruits. By this I mean, wash them clean and peel them. Then cut into large chunks. 
• The cashew apples do not require any peeling. If you have a power juicer, you can use that to extract the juice of all the fruits by placing them in the juice. If not start by placing the two cups of water in a blender and add the carrots. 
• Blend into a smoothie. Then pass the blend through a fine sift. This will separate the rich bright orange carrot juice from the chaff. 
• You can save the chaff and can be added to your boiled rice when you make some. Now rinse the blender thoroughly to get rid of any lingering carrot bits. 
• Then add the carrot juice you just made. 
• Add the chopped pineapple mango and cashew apple chunks. Blend all together. 
• Then again pass the blend through a sift to separate the juice. 
• Pour juice into a jug and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Funke Kolesoho's Cashew Tropical Juice