What do cashew grades like W240 and W320 actually mean?
The W in a cashew grade stands for "white wholes", and the number is how many kernels make up one pound. W180 is about 180 kernels per pound, so each nut is large; W320 is about 320 per pound and noticeably smaller. A lower number means a bigger, costlier nut — not a purer or fresher one.
Published 28 August 2026 · Reviewed by Ajay Singla, proprietor, Rajiv Karyana Store
How the grading system works
Indian cashew grades follow a convention set by the trade rather than by any single authority. The letters describe the kernel's condition and colour; the number describes its size, expressed as a count per pound (roughly 454 g). So the grade is a spec, not a quality score — a W450 is not a worse cashew than a W240, it is a smaller one.
| Grade | Approx. kernels per pound | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| W180 | 170–180 | Gifting, premium dry-fruit trays; often called "king size" |
| W210 | 200–210 | Gifting and display where W180 is hard to source |
| W240 | 220–240 | Retail packs, festive boxes, premium sweets |
| W320 | 300–320 | The trade default — sweets, gravies, general retail |
| W450 | 400–450 | Cost-sensitive bulk cooking and confectionery |
What the letters mean
- W — White Whole. Undamaged kernel, pale ivory colour.
- SW — Scorched Whole. Whole and sound, but heat-marked to a deeper tan during roasting or shelling.
- B — Butts. Kernel split across the width.
- S — Splits. Kernel split lengthwise into its two natural halves.
- LWP / SWP — Large and Small White Pieces. Broken fragments, graded by size.
Scorched and broken grades are the same nut. If the cashew is going to be ground into a gravy paste, chopped into a barfi, or blitzed into a sweet base, paying the whole-kernel premium buys appearance you then destroy.
Which grade should you buy?
| If you are | Consider | Because |
|---|---|---|
| A dry-fruit retailer selling loose | W240 or W320 | Visible size difference at the counter justifies the shelf price |
| A sweet shop making kaju katli | W320 or splits | The kernel is ground; size is invisible in the finished sweet |
| A restaurant making rich gravies | Splits or LWP | Soaked and blended — appearance is irrelevant, cost is not |
| Assembling gift boxes | W180 or W240 | Size is the whole point of a gifting pack |
| A bakery topping cookies or cakes | W320 or LWP | Halves and large pieces sit better on a surface than whole nuts |
Checking a consignment on arrival
- Take a handful from the middle of the sack, not the top.
- Look for uniformity — a grade should look like one size, not a spread.
- Snap a kernel. It should break crisply; a bendy kernel has taken on moisture.
- Smell it. Cashew fat goes rancid before it looks wrong, and the nose catches it first.
- Check for shrivelled or spotted kernels, which indicate age or poor drying.