cashew roast

Last night I joined my friends Lisa, Sandra, and Al for a cashew roast at Al and Sandra's place in Sandy Bay. Roasting cashews is an old island tradition (and one I had not participated in since I was a kid). Fun times!

The husks of the cashew seeds are saturated with very caustic oils. When these oils reach a critical point and ignite, that's when you know the nuts are sufficiently roasted. At this point they are quickly removed from the fire and the flames put out with sand. Once they've cooled, the charred husks are cracked to get the delicious nut inside.