Yes, you read that right and while you might be thinking that we're pulling a prank on you here, let us tell you that April Fools' was 12 days earlier.
The truth is that there is, in fact, an Indian city where cashews are sold cheaper than onions and potatoes. Now we all know that Indian middle-class households think twice before buying a kilo of cashews or kaju and for long it was only considered the snack of the elite. Reason- they are 800-100 rupees per kilo in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
In fact, cashews are even sold for the same price (or maybe around 100 rupees cheaper) in the state of Goa which is known for it's big and crunchy cashews. But, what if we told you that there is a village in the central Indian state of Jharkhand where people don't think twice before buying kilos and kilos of cashews as they are priced anywhere between Rs 15-Rs 20 per kilo!
The village is named Jamtara and the reason cashews are cheaper than potatoes there is because that the village's Nala area houses around 49 acres of cashew farms and due to its rich soil, the place normally has a good harvest every year and produces quintals and quintals of cashews. So rich is the harvest that the locals working in the farms and even outsiders sell cashews like peanuts for around 10-20 rupees per kilo to make some quick money.
But it was not like that before 2015. The locals say that the idea of homegrown cashews was of Deputy Commissioner Kripanand Jha who was really fond of cashews and his love for the dried fruit pushed him to seek help from farmers and agricultural experts in Orissa to find out about cashew farming. And now the villagers are reaping the (dried) fruits of his hard work and produce quintals of cashews every season.
Why you must include cashews in your diet
Normally we have associated cashews with calories and cholesterol, which is why we often stop our kids from having them. However, that's far from the truth. Leading celeb nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, who's known for her a-list clientele including the yummy mummy Kareena Kapoor, says that cashews are often ignored in Indian household due to the many myths associated with them
"Continuing my love affair with cashews, it’s rich in another c, copper. Copper is an antioxidant that works at eliminating the free radicals from your body. Free radicals put you at a risk of developing hypercholesterolemia, heart disease and the like. Copper is also an integral part of an enzyme called ‘lysyl oxidase’ which allows for cross-linking of collagen and elastin and keeps your bones, joints and most importantly the blood vessels flexible and healthy," she writes in her column for a leading magazine.
Cashews are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These include vitamins E, K, and B6, along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium, all of which are important for maintaining good bodily functions.
And while we still have to but them at Rs 800 a kilo, go ahead and have your daily dose of 5-6 cashews. Don't forget to give them to your kids too!
Also Read: Health benefits of dried fruits and nuts for an expectant mum
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[All images courtesy: Pixabay]
