Delicate when raw, cashews taste almost like sweet-cream butter when roasted-which is how you'll find them here, with a kiss of salt to enhance the flavor. Roasting also crisps the surface while rendering the inside all soft and dreamy.

With origins in South America, a thriving production in India, and a worldwide popularity, cashews are generally considered a bit of a step up from other nuts, so it's a wonder they aren't more appreciated in the U.S. But cashews have a unique taste and texture that's all its own and can best be described as mildly sweet and majorly creamy, making them captivating stand-alone snacks. They are also delicious in Thai curries and Vietnamese salads and Malaysian noodle dishes, among other Far Eastern favorites.

Or go ahead and give into the urge to toss them into a crunchy, chewy concoction, only with some method to your mixes. For instance, cashews rank with coconut and cassava as favorite flavors in their native South America, and those would make a terrific trio (using coconut and cassava chips). Or you could combine these cashews with roasted peanuts and dried papaya, guava, mango, and pineapple for a tropical treasure with adventure written all over it.