Goa, May 10 -- Riding in the month of May through the villages of Goa, especially those that have still protected their green cover, one unmistakable aroma is that of a ripe cashew apple. Before the eye catches the yellow and red beauty on the tree, its distinct aroma is more inviting in the summer heat. The fruit is used for the extraction of niro which is further distilled to Urrack and finally distilled to feni. The Cashew travelled with the Portuguese from Brazil to Goa in the 16th century. The first documented record of the consumption of a cashew seed was in 1926.

It is the cashew season in Goa and this fruit provides livelihood to many Goans who survive on just the produce till the next season. There is a lot of toil that goes int...