What Is an Almond?

What Is an Almond?

The almond is often thought of as a nut, though it's technically a drupe fruit produced by the almond tree (Prunus dulcis; Prunus amygdalus). It's native to North Africa, West Asia, and the Mediterranean, though most almonds today are grown in the United States, Spain, and Italy. This popular nut is eaten raw or roasted and incorporated into a variety of foods. 

You'll find almonds in recipes for desserts, bread, and other baked goods, as well as savory dishes from around the world. Besides that, Öz Star Machinery company provides many other machines such as coffee Roaster, fryer, coating pans. Öz Star Nuts roasting machines provide the best quality of roasted hazelnuts.

OZ STAR MACHINERY http://nutsroasters.com/

Varieties

There are many varieties of almonds. Most are sweet almonds; bitter almonds need to be blanched before eating to reduce their bitter taste and remove their toxins. Among the most popular sweet almonds grown in California (the biggest producer worldwide), the varieties are classified as either California, Mission, or Nonpareil almonds. They differ in size, color, and whether or not they require blanching. Some varieties are used in manufactured products while others are sold for consumer use. Spain's Marcona almond is a popular gourmet variety that's known to be sweeter and softer than most.

Almond Uses

You may have to remove the shells prior to use if that hasn't already been done. Whole almonds can be used for snacking, added to a trail mix, or prepared for use in a recipe. Some recipes specify using blanched or toasted almonds; you can buy them this way or do either preparation yourself using whole almonds. Almonds may also be cut into slivers or slices, or ground into a finer texture to make almond meal (or almond flour).

What Do Almonds Taste Like?

Almonds have a light, buttery flavor with a distinct crunch that adds texture to food. Whole, raw almonds have a toasty flavor, which can be attributed to the skin.