The local families here are either fisherman, rubber tree farmers or cashew “nut” farmers (a quick Wikipedia search and apparently the correct term, botanically, is seed and not nut). The resort is surrounded by cashew trees and throughout the day, cashew apples drop from the giant trees. Each apple has one cashew “nut” attached to it.

Cashew apple

Throughout the island, you can spot cashew nut farmers from the road, usually from the foot-operated rustic machines that are set up outside someone’s home.  

Operation Cashew: to the left, about 15 bags of cashews waiting to be cracked open, one by one

A peak inside the bag

After laying the nuts out to dry, the cashew farmers use these machines to crack open each nut, one by one, to access the seed. They use a screwdriver to finish prying open the shell and wear gloves to keep their hands from getting extremely sticky.

Cracking open the outer layer with the blade of the machine

Using a screwdriver to pry open the shell and remove the seed

By pressing on the lever with her foot, the blade releases down to crack the shell

Freed cashew seeds! Read for roasting

Once the shell is pried open and the seeds are removed, they are roasted, often by hand (which is more strenuous but tastes better) rather than an oven.

Roasting by hand

Peeling the skin

After the skin is peeled…voila! Creamy, delicious cashews.  Cashews can be bought everywhere on this island; I’ve also found them mixed in salads, fried rice and even ice cream.

 Pictured also: coconut oil for sale! (yes, I bought some)