Cashew is a nut that comes from the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), which is native to Brazil but widely grown in India, Vietnam, Africa, and other tropical regions. The tree produces both the cashew nut and the cashew apple. The cashew nut is edible and is eaten on its own as a snack. It is also used in recipes or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter. The cashew apple is a light reddish to yellow fruit, whose pulp and juice can be processed into a sweet, astringent fruit drink or fermented and distilled into liquor. The nut is often called a cashew.