W240, W320 or W400? A Plain-English Guide to Cashew Grades and Storage

If you've ever stood in front of a shelf of cashew packs wondering what "W240" or "W400" means, you're not alone — it looks like a product code, but it's actually telling you something useful about the nut itself. Here's what the numbers mean, how UmedMart's Konkan cashew grades differ, and how to keep a pack fresh once it's open.

What do W240, W320, and W400 actually mean?

In the cashew trade, the "W" stands for "white wholes" (whole, unbroken kernels, as opposed to broken pieces or splits), and the number that follows is roughly how many kernels make up one pound of nuts. A lower number means fewer, bigger kernels per pound — so W240 kernels are the largest, W320 are medium-large, and W400 kernels are smaller. It's a grading convention used across the Indian cashew industry, not a UmedMart-specific label, so you'll see the same W-numbers on cashew packs from other brands too.

UmedMart's Konkan cashew range, side by side

All three grades below are whole W-grade cashews from the same source: hand-selected and packed by the PNG Cashew Self Help Group in Sindhudurg, in Maharashtra's Konkan region, with no added preservatives.

If you'd rather try a smaller quantity first, the PNG Cashew 250 g pack is a compact option sourced through the same Sindhudurg producer network.

Which grade should you actually buy?

There's no "better" grade — it depends on what the cashews are for. Whole, large kernels look better and hold their shape when served plain, so W240 is the natural pick for a festive platter, a gift box, or a bowl you're putting out for guests. Once cashews are going to be blended, ground into paste for a gravy, chopped into a mithai, or stirred into a dry-fruit mix, kernel size stops mattering as much — that's where the more everyday-priced W320 and W400 grades make sense, since you're paying for the same nut in a smaller size rather than a lower-quality one.

How to store cashews so they stay fresh

Cashews have a relatively high fat content, which is exactly why they turn rancid faster than drier nuts if they're left out in heat or humidity. Per UmedMart's own product guidance: store the pack in a cool, dry place away from direct heat and moisture, and once it's opened, transfer the cashews to an airtight container rather than leaving the original pack loosely folded shut. In Indian household conditions, especially through the monsoon, keeping opened cashews in the refrigerator in a sealed container is a simple way to extend how long they stay crisp, since cool storage slows down the fat in the nut from turning rancid.

Meet the producer

All three Konkan grades and the PNG Cashew 250 g pack trace back to Sindhudurg district, where the women-led PNG Cashew Self Help Group processes and packs the nuts locally rather than sending the raw crop elsewhere for processing. Buying the packed product from Sindhudurg — instead of raw cashew that gets processed and branded further up the supply chain — is what keeps more of that value with the local SHG.

FAQs

Is W240 better quality than W400?

No — the W-number is a size grade, not a quality grade. Both are the same whole, hand-selected cashew from the same producer; W240 kernels are simply larger.

Which grade is best for making cashew paste for curries?

Any of them work, since the cashews get blended anyway. W320 or W400 are the more practical (and usually more affordable) choice for this, saving the larger W240 kernels for eating whole.

How long do these cashews stay fresh once opened?

UmedMart doesn't state a fixed shelf life on these packs — follow the date and storage guidance printed on your pack, keep them in an airtight container once opened, and store in a cool, dry place (or the fridge) to keep them fresh for longer.

Browse the full range in UmedMart's Dry Fruits & Nuts collection, or read about the women-led groups behind UmedMart's pantry staples in our piece on rural artisans and Self-Help Groups.