Cashew fruits. Three fruits of the cashew nut tree (Anacardium occidentale) at different stages of development. All three show both the fruit and the false fruit. The lower portion is the fruit (drupe) of the tree which contains the seed, the cashew nut, which people eat. The large upper structure is an accessory fruit, also known as a false fruit, and referred to as the cashew apple. The cashew apple is sometimes eaten or used to make jams and other foods. The edible cashew nut is surrounded by a shell that contains a toxin. Photographed in the Peruvian Amazon.