Specially Selected Deluxe Whole Cashews
If you’ve a) been to Aldi and b) like cashews, you can’t help but notice that giant box staring at you among the various nuts. (In our store they’re located in the first aisle, just beyond the alcohol, chips, and other snacks.) Now, anyone who knows much about nuts in general, and cashews in particular, is that they’re rather expensive. And, truth be told, the Aldi cashews aren’t exactly cheap … but they’re a lot less expensive, on the whole, than most other places we’ve visited.
And, better yet, they’re quite good.
Aldi cashews have appeared under various brands over the years, including the Southern Grove label that Aldi’s peanuts currently are marketed under. At the time of this post the cashews are being sold under the “Specially Selected” label, which Aldi uses for some of its more exotic and chic snack and sweet offerings.
While the label has changed, one thing that has not is the size: this container is a hefty 1 pound 14 ounces (30 ounces) of whole cashews. It dwarfs the small metal containers we typically see in most grocers, and it rivals what we might find at a wholesale club. Aldi also sells some other nut offerings in these large containers, such as mixed nuts and unsalted cashews.
The cashews are, as the label suggests, whole, and the ones we get are salted with sea salt. They are generally lightly salted, so if you’re expecting the salt explosion that comes with salted dry roasted peanuts, you’ll probably want to bring your own salt to the party. In my view, though, they’re salted just about right, and Aldi’s producer does a good job of producing cashews that aren’t too oily, something I’ve encountered with some of the cashews I’ve purchased at other grocers.
The Verdict:
Specially Selected Deluxe Whole Cashews are a great value, assuming you don’t mind buying them a little more in bulk. They taste good, have just the right touch of salt, and don’t leave much oil (or salt) on your hands. Recommended.
Lately they have an odd taste to them. I’ve been purchasing them elsewhere, but the other nuts are the same quality as before.