IplaywithmypNES 1352 points 19 hours ago
It surprised me when I first learned where cashews come from
itsjero 649 points 18 hours ago
Not only that, but in this stage of their existence, cashews are actually poisonous to consume.
I've always wondered how foods that are poisonous at different stages come to be edible at one point or another, often with great results.
I mean honestly, a few folks died figuring out how to eat a cashew. It probablly took a long time to find out how to refine the nut, find out that if you add fire and some salt you get something that is fucking fantastic.
But you have to start out with a crazy looking apple-nut thing that can kill you.
[?]kaizenallthethings 923 points 18 hours ago
A friend of mine was hospitalized after eating a raw cashew. The toxin that surrounds the nut is related to poison ivy, and after ingesting, he had a systemic break-out. He said that the itching was fiercest in his genitals, and they had to strap him down to keep him from scratching his balls off.
What stuns me about his story is that the first guy that tried a raw cashew probably DIED from scratching his balls off. Yet we eat cashews today, which means that some other dude, looked over at his friend bleeding out and thought, well, perhaps if I ROAST it first it will be tasty. I mean, holy shit! How hungry do you have to be for that to seem like a good idea?!