What Do Cashews Taste Like? Raw, Roasted, Burnt and Devilled

A cashew tastes mild, buttery and a little sweet, with a soft, creamy crunch. It is one of the gentlest nuts, with none of the bitterness you sometimes get from walnuts or the dry bite of an almond. Because the flavour is so mild, cashews take well to roasting and seasoning, which is why the same nut can taste soft and creamy in one pack and fiery in another.

Cashews sold as raw are mild, creamy and faintly sweet, with a texture that is softer than most nuts. They are not truly raw in the strict sense, as we explain in what happens to the cashew shell, because heat or steam is used to free the kernel. Their gentle taste is why they blend so smoothly into cashew milk, cream and butter, and why we use plain cashews for cooking. See how to make cashew milk at home.

Roasting brings out a deeper, nuttier, toastier flavour and gives the cashew a crisp, golden crunch. A well-roasted cashew is still buttery, but the sweetness turns richer and more rounded. Our Oven Roasted Cashew is roasted with no added oil and has a rich, buttery taste on its own. For how roasting compares with raw, read raw vs roasted cashews.

Burnt cashews are roasted past the golden stage until the surface darkens and chars in places. The taste is bold and smoky, with a deep roasted crunch and a little bitterness at the edge, like the dark crust of well-toasted bread. They are not burnt by mistake, and no seasoning is added, so you taste the cashew and the fire. They are a good partner for coffee or tea. See what are burnt cashews? and our Burnt Cashew Nut.

Devilled cashews are hot, savoury and addictive, in the Sri Lankan style. They are tossed in a seasoning of chilli, curry leaves and aromatic spices, so you get heat first and then the warm, spiced flavour of the curry leaf. Our Deviled Cashew is the one to try if you like a kick. Read what are devilled cashews? for the story behind the name.

Our Garlic Cashew is dusted in a savoury garlic seasoning, which gives a creamy, tangy twist on the classic, milder than the devilled kind and with no chilli heat. Our Classic Roasted Salt & Pepper Cashews are the simple, familiar choice: slow-roasted and finished with a little sea salt and pepper, so the cashew still leads.

Many people find cashews sweeter and creamier than almonds, which are drier and firmer, and far milder than walnuts, which can taste slightly bitter. Pistachios have a more distinct, almost grassy flavour. Cashews are also softer to bite than most other nuts. For how they compare on nutrition, see cashews vs almonds vs walnuts.

A fresh cashew should taste clean and buttery. If it tastes sour, waxy, bitter or like old paint or crayons, the fats in it have started to go rancid, and the batch is best thrown away. This is more likely when cashews sit open in a warm kitchen. We roast to order so they reach you fresh, and our storage guide shows how to keep them that way.

If you like mild and creamy, start with the Oven Roasted Cashew, or the plain Cooking Cashew for cooking. For something familiar to share, try the Salt & Pepper. If you want savoury, choose Garlic. If you like heat, choose Deviled. And if you want something smoky to go with a hot drink, choose Burnt. If you cannot decide, the Cashew Taster Gift Box lets you try several flavours in one box.