Nut

Anacardium occidentale

Cashew nut

The cashew nut isn't technically a nut. It's native to South America, so the word cashew comes from the Brazilian Portuguese word 'caju', which comes from the indigenous Tupi word 'acajú', meaning "nut that produces itself". Such description is scientifically apt considering that a nut is a fruit whose hard shell does not open on its own to release the kernel seed, it relies on predation or decay. The cashew, however, is a true dried fruit, that grows on the outside of its fleshy false fruit, whose kernel seed detaches marvelously on its own from the outer shell as it sprouts.

Acrocomia aculeata

Macaúba palm

This macaúba palm seed was acquired from farmers selling their products on the road outside São Luís in the state of Maranhão, in Brazil. It’s a common species in the Brazilian Northeast region, and its fruit feeds several animals of the Brazilian fauna. From the straw of its leaves, fishing nets can be made, and from its nut, an oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids can be produced. In Mexico, a fermented drink is traditionally produced from the trunk of the palm, named coyol wine.

Dicella bracteosa

Guaiaqui

This Dicella bracteosa seed, also called Guaiaqui or, in Tupi-Guarani, "almond of the fruit that irritates", was acquired from the biggest collector of rare fruits in Brazil. The Guaiaqui is a vine that produces an edible kernel, which can be consumed after removing the small hairs that surround its thick shell. Its flavor resembles peanuts.