Why can't you buy cashews in their shells?

You can get almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, pecans, and even macadamia nuts in a shell, but not cashews. Have you ever wondered why? The reason is simple; the cashew is surrounded by a toxic shell.

The above picture shows what the fruit of a cashew tree looks like. The cashew itself is located in the kidney shaped greenish-white shell which protrudes from the main body of the fruit.

Source: Bits & Pieces & Wikipedia
Tags: Cashew | Nut | Nature