Phuket, Thailand

Guide with cashew fruit

Phuket is one of Thailand’s largest islands and known for its many beaches. It’s white sandy beaches looked beautiful, however images of the 2004 Tsunami which killed over 5000 flooded my imagination. Tsunami early warning signs and towers are evident everywhere and local residents have resumed their daily lives not worried about a repeat of that disaster. Here again similar to other east Asian countries, the population is a mix of Chinese, Indians, Moslems and others who seemed to live harmoniously.

Our excursion included a visit to one of the many ornate Buddhist temples and several buddha statues and a museum. Those who know me are not surprised that I skipped the temples and museums but was totally interested in a visit to a local cashew processing plant.

We learned that a  cashew is NOT a nut but a fruit. Each cashew grows in a kidney-shaped protrusion at the bottom of a fruit called a Drupe. It’s processing is extremely complicated, dangerous, and usually done manually. The Drupe is carefully removed from the tree because it contains several oils that cause severe skin irritation. It is then dried or frozen to dry out the noxious oils. Finally, it’s roasted to make the hard outer shell more flexible and easier to remove. The inner nut is then washed and heated at 60 degrees for 24 hours to soften the kernel’s inner shell. This is finally peeled away to result in a cashew kernel. It’s amazing they are not more expensive in spite of the extra work involved. This factory also flavors the final product. Available flavors include cinnamon, chocolate, wasabi, garlic, sesame and many more. I sampled many, bought a few and munch on them frequently.

On the way back to the ship, a few of us had a chance to sample real Thai cuisine at a local restaurant. My Pad Thai meal with Thai ice tea cost a whopping $2.77 (no tip) and came with  a spicy green sauce. I generally like Thai food, but this was exceptional.