Cashews, WHOLE, RawCashews, WHOLE, Raw Very attractive raw* cashews. Mostly whole. Meaty. Technically speaking, the cashew nut is not really a nut, but a thick shelled seed. Inside the shell layer is a toxic resin. If any of the resin gets on the nut, the nut becomes inedible. Thus, the shell must be opened properly. To do this, many companies steam the shell, which in turn cooks the nut inside. This is how most cashews are produced. *Why, then, are cashews are labeled