Those 'Raw Cashews' You've Been Buying Are Not Really 'Raw'

You see, the cashew seed grows inside a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin, which is urushiol a toxin found in the related poison ivy.

Now in order to remove this delicious seed from its toxic shell, it must be roasted in its shell to reduce the toxin and make the shell brittle and easy to remove.

Properly roasting cashews destroys the toxin, but if the process, which involves cashews either being steamed or boiled in oil, is not done correctly, it may be deadly.

While cashew poisoning is rare, those who handle them in order to manufacture them to get the shell off experience its severe side-effects.

Companies label them as "raw cashews" because to them, the cashew seed has "not" been processed, ie: roasted.