Cashew Country: Rio Grande do Norte's Fruit Economy
Rio Grande do Norte is Brazil's second-largest cashew producer — the cashew trees that cover the coastal plains produce the nut (exported worldwide) and the fruit (eaten fresh and juiced only in Brazil)
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Cashew Fruit: Brazil's Secret
The cashew apple - the fleshy pseudofruit attached to the nut - is consumed fresh, juiced and fermented only in Brazil and a few other producing countries; its tropical, slightly astringent flavor is unknown abroad
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Cashew nut processing
The cashew nut is attached to the bottom of the fruit in a toxic shell - the processing to remove the shell and inner shell requires careful handling; the nut processing industry in RN employs thousands of
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Cajuína: The Northeastern Drink
Cajuína - clarified, pasteurized cashew apple juice - is the drink of northeastern Brazil; The Caetano Veloso song 'Cajuína' made it nationally famous; the drink has a subtle, clean taste that is quite different from fresh juice
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Cashew garden visit
The cashew orchards (cajuais) in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte welcome visitors during the September-November harvest - pick the fruit, drink fresh juice and eat the roasted nuts at the source
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Fermented cashew nuts (Caju Amigo)
The fermented cashew apple produces an alcoholic drink called caju amigo — stronger than cashew wine, it is a community product of the rural northeast, drunk at parties and community events
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The Melon Growing Coast
The Rio Grande do Norte coastal zone also produces Brazil's finest melon — irrigated with underground water in the sandy coastal soil, the yellow and cantaloupe melons are exported to Europe year-round