Our Cashews come from 4 areas in the Makonde Plateau

Makonde Plateau Cashews: The Superior Choice

Nestled in the rich, fertile soils of the Makonde Plateau in southern Tanzania, our cashews stand out for their exceptional taste, colour and size. Grown in the ideal climate of this elevated region, the cashews have everything they need. The Makonde Plateau cashews offer a unique combination of attributes that set them apart from other cashews on the market.

Why Choose Makonde Plateau Cashews?

• Unmatched Flavor: Our cashews are naturally sweeter and richer in taste, thanks to the nutrient-dense soil and favorable growing conditions of the Makonde Plateau. Each bite delivers a deep, buttery flavor that cashew lovers crave.

• Larger, Premium Size: Makonde Plateau cashews are renowned for their size. Handpicked at the peak of ripeness, these cashews are larger and more satisfying, offering a superior snacking experience that complements a wide variety of culinary uses.

• Almost Organic Quality: Our cashews are grown with minimal use of pesticides, only sulphur is essential to fight the blight, a common disease for cashew trees. This results in cashews that are as close to organic as possible, making them a healthy and safe choice for consumers who value natural, pesticide-free products.

• Health Benefits: Rich in essential nutrients like healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, Makonde cashews support heart health, boost energy levels, and promote overall well-being. Their purity and quality make them an excellent addition to a balanced diet.

Experience the Difference

When you choose cashews from the Makonde Plateau, you're not only indulging in a premium product but also supporting sustainable, local farming communities. Taste the difference of cashews grown with care, tradition, and the perfect natural environment.

The rich tradition of cashew growing on the Makonde Plateau

For generations, the Makonde Plateau in southern Tanzania has been home to the finest cashew cultivation. Embedded in this fertile region, local farmers have perfected the art of growing cashews, using time-honored techniques passed down through families. The unique climate and nutrient-rich soil of the plateau create the perfect conditions for producing high-quality cashews with superior taste and size.

This deep-rooted tradition not only supports local livelihoods but also reflects a cultural legacy of sustainable farming, making Makonde Plateau cashews a symbol of both excellence and heritage.

Click on the area to learn more about the farmers:

The processing of our delicious Cashews

After receiving the raw cashewnuts (RCN) at the factory, they are graded according to their size for easier processing.

Grading

Steaming

Cutting

Drying

Peeling

Sorting

Packing

After the harvest we collect the cashews from the fields of our farmers and dry them in the sun. After one day we can start the processing of our delicious cashews:

The RCN must be steamed under pressure to soften the shell. This causes the cashew kernels inside to become loose and easier to remove in the next step.

Each cashew shell is split open longitudinal by our experienced workers and the cashew inside is immediately taken out without touching of the shell or its liquid corrosive oil. All our workers are only touching the cashews with state of the art protection equipment.

After removing the hard shell, the kernel is still covered with a soft skin. This skin is dried in an oven at low heat for several hours to dry the kernel down to the right moisture (<5%) and loosen the skin.

After taking the kernels out of the oven and a cooling down period, the loosened skin of each cashew kernel is removed by our expert workers with a knife.

Now the cashews are ready for packing, but they still need to be sorted and graded. Only pure white kernels are packed by our experts and sold according to their size from the larges class W180 to small broken pieces.

For the cashews to keep their delicious flavour and crunchyness, they must be packed in vacuum, immediately after sorting. We do it at the same day, becasue each day in the air weakens the taste.

“Unlike other cashew traders, we pay farmers for their cashews in cash and fair prices.”

Sofia Salumu Mtamah - Chairperson of TDC Board of Directors