Cashews Grades/Varieties
World prices of cashew kernels vary according to the size, class and composition of the product. W320 (320 kernels per pound weight) is the category in highest demand and is the reference point for pricing. International prices for cashew kernels are influenced by the behaviour of market operators. There is no fixed market price and the market is speculative.
Peeled cashew nuts can be classified into between 11 and 24 grades. These are roughly divided into three groups: white whole, white pieces and scorched grades. The three groups are further broken down as follows:
| WHITE WHOLES | |
|---|---|
| W180 (super large) | Between 120 and 180 kernels per lb (266-395 per kg) |
| W210 (large) | Between 200 and 210 kernels per lb (395-465 per kg) |
| W240 | Between 230 and 240 kernels per lb (485-530 per kg) |
| W280 | Between 270 and 280 kernels per lb (575-620 per kg) |
| W320 | Between 300 and 320 kernels per lb (660-706 per kg) |
| W450 | Between 400 and 450 kernels per lb (880-990 per kg) |
| White pieces | |
|---|---|
| Butts | A kernel broken cleanly across the section of the nut. |
| Splits | A kernel which has broken down the natural line of cleavage to form a cotyledon. |
| Pieces | A kernel which has broken across the section but does not qualify for a butt and is above a specific size. |
| Small pieces | As above but smaller. |
| Baby bits | Very small pieces of kernel which are white in colour. |
| Scorched grades | |
|---|---|
| Wholes | Whole kernels that have been slightly scorched during the process but are otherwise sound. These are not graded according to size. |
| Butts | Butts that have been scorched. |
| Splits | Splits that have been scorched. |
| Pieces | As for pieces, but which have been scorched during processing and contain all but the very small pieces. |
