Mundiri is Anacardium occidentale, cashew — the coastal tree whose true fruit is the kidney hanging under a swollen stalk. Hindi kaju is the same seed. It is not mango, not a raw-in-the-shell snack, and not a “brain food.” The shell liquid burns. Roasted or steamed kernels are food. The cashew apple is a separate, perishable fruit.
- Botanical name
- Anacardium occidentale L.
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
- Tamil
- Mundiri
- Hindi
- Kaju
- Sanskrit
- Kajū
- Parts used
- Seed, False fruit (cashew apple), Shell liquid in industry
- Habit
- Evergreen coastal tree; the articles are the kidney seed and the false fruit
- Last updated
- 2026-10-29
How to recognise Mundiri
Linnaeus published Anacardium occidentale. The family is Anacardiaceae. It is a spreading evergreen: simple leathery leaves, panicles of small pink-striped flowers, and a kidney-shaped hard fruit (the nut) attached to a swollen, pear-shaped pedicel (the cashew apple).
The cashew sold in shops is the seed inside the kidney. The apple is eaten fresh, juiced or distilled in some coasts. Both belong to this tree.
Tamil mundiri / mundiri paruppu, Hindi kaju and English cashew are this species. The mango page already said they share a family and not a pickle.
Whole kernels keep the curved kidney shape; broken pieces are easier to mix.
Never crack a raw shell with bare hands as if it were a groundnut. The shell liquid (CNSL) is caustic.
Mangifera indica has a different fruit and a turpentine leaf. Shared family explains the sap caution, not the kitchen job.
The apple bruises in a day. That perishability is why shops sell the seed and not the stalk.
Pink, yellow and red apples remain this species. Colour is a cultivar fact.
Leaves are simple, not pinnate like a mango seedling of similar age. The kidney under the apple is the faster mark anyway.
Traditional use of Mundiri
South Asian food
Roasted or soaked kernels in a payasam and a gravy, and the apple as a coastal fruit, are cuisine.
Tamil, Goan and wider kitchen practice
Household
The tree is an orchard crop. Shell processing is industry, not a backyard craft without gear.
Household and coastal orchard practice
Modern notes on Mundiri
In Goa the fermented juice of the apple is distilled into feni.
The practical modern issue is cheaper nuts in a kaju tin, and raw-shell burns sold as a rustic story.
Mundiri safety
Roasted or properly processed kernels are the ordinary food exposure. Raw shell liquid burns skin and eyes.
People who react to mango or cashew-family sap should handle apples and shells with care. Allergy to the kernel is a separate, real conversation.
Ecology and sourcing
It is a coastal orchard tree. Seed harvest does not require felling. Honesty is a processed kernel and a named coast.
Related plants
Also in Anacardiaceae
Questions about Mundiri
Is the apple a different plant?
No. The cashew apple is the swollen stalk of this same fruit. The kidney is the true fruit.
What is the Tamil name of Anacardium occidentale?
Mundiri.
Can I crack them raw at home?
Not like a groundnut. The shell liquid is caustic. Buy processed kernels unless you have the gear.
Sources
- Anacardium occidentale L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q34007 (Anacardium occidentale)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.