Almost every cashew sold in an Indian supermarket is the same grade. You have probably never eaten another one, which is why the first large-grade cashew tastes like a different nut rather than a bigger one.
What do the letters and numbers in cashew grades mean?
In a cashew grade, W stands for White Whole, an undamaged kernel with its natural pale ivory colour, and the number is how many kernels make up one pound (454 g). Fewer kernels per pound means each one is larger, so W160 is a bigger cashew than W320.
| Grade | Kernels per pound | Roughly per kg | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| W160 | 140–160 | ~310–353 | Largest grade in routine trade. Scarce |
| W180 | 170–180 | ~375–395 | "King size" |
| W210 | 200–210 | ~440–465 | Jumbo |
| W240 | 220–240 | ~485–530 | Large |
| W320 | 300–320 | ~660–706 | The standard supermarket grade |
| W450 | 400–450 | ~880–990 | Small wholes |
The per-kg ranges for W210 to W450 match the Northern Corridor cashew kernel standard NC 1:2018, notified to the WTO by Kenya (NC 1:2018, Table 2). The number runs backwards from intuition: lower number, bigger nut, so W160 is the largest grade here and W450 the smallest.
What is W160, and how rare is it?
W160 is the cashew grade with 140–160 kernels per pound, about 31–35 kernels in 100 g. It is a sieve size, not a marketing tier: sorting runs shelled kernels across graded sieves, and only a small fraction of any harvest comes out that large. That scarcity is why most brands never stock it.
What you notice, holding one:
It does not look like a supermarket cashew. A W160 kernel weighs roughly twice as much as a W320 kernel: 100 g holds 31–35 of one and 66–70 of the other.
The bite is dense, not chalky. A large kernel has a lower surface-to-volume ratio, so more of its own oil stays inside instead of escaping at the cut faces during drying and roasting.
It is sweeter. The biggest kernels come from the most developed nuts. "Starchy" is what a small, under-developed kernel tastes like.
Our Cashew Jumbo 250gm is W160 from Mangalore. On 25 October 2026 it cost ₹349 for 250 g, or ₹139.60 per 100 g.
Why does W160 sit above W180?
W160 sits above W180 because it has fewer, larger kernels per pound: 140–160 against 170–180. Many sellers call W180 the largest grade because it is the largest one most standards list. The NC 1:2018 standard, for example, stops at W180, so W160 is an exporter's grade above the published ladder.
That is why a search for "largest cashew grade" gives two answers. W180 is the largest grade in most written standards and the one most exporters ship as "king size". W160 is a finer sort above it.
The practical test is the same either way. A W180 lot gives about 37–40 kernels in 100 g, and a W160 lot gives 31–35. If a pack says W160 and you count 38, it is W180, which is still a very good cashew, just not the one on the label.
The standard also allows broken kernels and kernels of the next lower grade to make up no more than 5% of a lot (NC 1:2018).
What do SW, DW, splits and pieces mean?
Cashew packs without a W number usually hold kernels that are not white and whole. SW means scorched wholes, DW dessert wholes, B and S butts and splits, LWP and SWP large and small white pieces, and BB baby bits. None of these is bad; each is sold for a different job.
| Code | Meaning | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| SW | Scorched Wholes: whole, browned by heat during shelling | Snacking; same taste, cheaper |
| DW | Dessert Wholes: whole but discoloured or misshapen | Snacking, cooking |
| B / S | Butts and Splits: broken into natural halves | Gravies, kaju katli |
| LWP / SWP | Large and Small White Pieces | Cooking, garnish |
| BB | Baby Bits: fragments | Grinding |
Paying whole-kernel prices to blitz cashews in a mixer is a waste. The trap is a pack that says "large cashews" with no grade at all, which is usually W320 and sometimes a blend with splits mixed in.
Which cashew grade should you buy?
Buy splits or pieces for cooking, grinding, sweets and gravies, W320 for everyday snacking, and W240 or larger for a bowl on the table or a gift. W160 is a deliberate choice for occasions where the nut is the whole experience; it costs more because the sieve produces so little of it.
| Use | Grade | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gravies, kaju katli, grinding | Splits or pieces | Same kernel, shape destroyed anyway |
| Everyday snacking | W320 | Does the job, 66–70 kernels per 100 g |
| Guests, gifting | W240 or larger | Creamier and sweeter, 50–53 per 100 g |
| The occasion itself | W160 | Largest, densest, 31–35 per 100 g |
Grade barely changes nutrition. Per 100 g, raw cashews give about 553 kcal, 18.2 g protein and 43.8 g fat whatever the size (USDA FoodData Central). Grade changes size, texture and sweetness, not what the nut does for you.
How can you check a cashew grade at home?
Weigh 100 g and count the kernels. It is the one test that cannot be argued with: W160 gives 31–35 kernels, W180 37–40, W240 50–53 and W320 66–70. If a pack claims W160 and you count 68, you have your answer, without needing anyone's permission.
| Grade | Kernels in 100 g |
|---|---|
| W160 | 31–35 |
| W180 | 37–40 |
| W240 | 50–53 |
| W320 | 66–70 |
Then three quick checks:
- Colour. A good cashew is a uniform pale ivory. Yellowing means age or over-drying; brown patches mean scorching, which is SW sold as W.
- Curve. Whole kernels have an unbroken inner curve. If a third of a handful show a flat, split face, those are butts sold as wholes.
- Smell. Fresh cashews smell faintly sweet and milky. Anything sharp, waxy or paint-like is oxidised, and roasting will not hide it.
Where do cashews come from, and does origin matter?
Most of the world's cashews come from India, Vietnam, Ivory Coast and Ghana, and Vietnam shells the most, including raw nuts grown in West Africa. Origin affects taste: coastal Indian cashews from Mangalore, Goa and the Konkan tend to be sweeter and less starchy, with a softer bite.
Indian coastal cashews grow in laterite soil close to the sea. The harvest is smaller and more hand-handled.
Vietnamese cashews are consistent, well graded and slightly firmer, with a cleaner but flatter flavour.
West African cashews vary widely depending on how long the raw nuts sat before shelling.
None of these is dishonest. But a pack that says only "cashews" is telling you the origin was not worth mentioning, which usually means it was whichever lot was cheapest that month. A named origin and a named grade together are the two facts that let you compare one pack with another.
How should you store cashews?
Store cashews airtight in a dark cupboard away from the stove: about 4 months sealed at Indian room temperature, or 8 months refrigerated, and half that once the pack is open. They are about 44% fat by weight and carry little tannin, so very little in the nut protects that fat from oxidation.
The fat figure is USDA's 43.8 g per 100 g for raw cashews (FDC 170162). Most of it is monounsaturated, which oxidises more slowly than the polyunsaturated fat in walnuts, but it still turns.
Keep them away from strong smells. Nut fat takes on onion and masala odours.
Re-crisp, do not rescue. If cashews lose their snap, five minutes in a dry pan on low heat brings the texture back. It does not bring back a rancid nut; that change is one-way.
ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians list nuts among the foods to choose for daily fats (Guideline 7), which is easier to follow when the pack in the cupboard is still fresh (ICMR-NIN).
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest cashew grade? W160, at 140–160 kernels per pound. Most written standards stop at W180, so you will also see W180 called the largest.
Is W160 worth the price over W240? For eating and gifting, the difference is obvious: about twice the kernel weight of a W320, denser and sweeter. For cooking, no; buy splits.
Why are some cashews brown? Usually scorching during shelling. Scorched wholes (SW) taste the same and cost less; they are only a problem when sold as W grade.
Are broken cashews lower quality? No. Splits and pieces are the same kernel, broken during processing, and the sensible buy for anything cooked or ground.
Why do supermarket packs never state a grade? Because stating it invites comparison with the count. Vagueness is commercially useful when the contents are ordinary.
Sources
- Northern Corridor standard NC 1:2018, Cashew kernels: Specification (WTO TBT notification, Kenya), Table 2. members.wto.org
- USDA FoodData Central, Nuts, cashew nuts, raw (FDC 170162). fdc.nal.usda.gov
- ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians booklet, Guideline 7. nin.res.in
The grade on the pack should be the grade in the pack. Weigh out 100 g and count; that is the whole argument.
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