Why are Cashews so dang expensive?
Cashews typically are imported from overseas and anything imported is going to fetch a higher price. On one hand it's imported from places like Vietnam or other locations but on the other hand I suspect prices are deliberately inflated. Considering the popularity of cashews compared to most other nuts it kind of does defy reasoning that cashews would also be one of the most expensive going for prices such as $12 per pound raw. To buy the best whole cashews the price can be much higher.
Cashews grow on a tree and are technically nuts
By Abhishek Jacob (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Cashews have some interesting health benefits but are not as healthy as walnuts which provide omega 3s. In small to moderate portions cashews appear to be healthy but they are also very high calorie. If you seek to gain weight such as body building or exercise a lot then cashews become a very good source of quality fat. The high cost of cashews can prevent some people from over eating them which can be good but also bad for people who really like them.
Cashews are beneficial for controlling blood sugar, according to a study in the December 2010 issue of "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research." In the study, researchers from the University of Montreal tested an extract from cashew nuts, which contains anacardic acid, on lab rats. The results of their study show that the anacardic acid improves the ability of sugar to enter cells, which decreases the amount of sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Cashews also may promote the metabolism of sugar into energy, a process called glycolysis. Controlling blood-sugar levels reduces the risk of developing diabetes, a condition often associated with obesity and heart disease.