Cashew kernels are graded by colour, size and brokenness — and the grade drives the price. If you're buying bulk cashew nuts for retail, snacks or ingredients, here's how to read the grades and order the right product.
White whole grades (by count per pound)
The 'W' grades are whole white kernels. The number is roughly the count of kernels per pound — lower number means larger nuts and higher price.
- •W180 — the largest, premium 'king size' kernels; highest price.
- •W240 — large, premium grade; popular for retail and gifting.
- •W320 — the most widely traded grade; excellent balance of size and value.
- •W450 — smaller whole kernels; economical for volume use.
Scorched, splits and pieces
Beyond whole white grades, you'll see SW (scorched whole — slightly darker but sound), splits, butts and pieces (LWP/SWP). These are lower-cost and ideal for processing, baking and ingredient use where appearance matters less.
Raw cashew nuts (RCN)
Processors often buy raw cashew nuts in shell (RCN) to process themselves. RCN is priced by outturn (kernel yield) and moisture. Make sure specs (nut count, outturn, moisture) are agreed up front.
Packaging, MOQ and quality
Kernels are typically vacuum-packed in tins or flexi-packs inside cartons to preserve freshness, usually a 20ft container MOQ. Always request a sample so your QA team can verify grade, colour and moisture before you commit to a container.
Looking to buy cashew nuts?
Raw & processed cashew kernels. Request a quote, samples, or a source visit.