Almond

Prunus dulcis is a deciduous tree 4 to 10 metres tall that bursts into pale pink and white blossom in late winter. The fruit is a drupe with a leathery, grey-green hull that splits as it dries, revealing a pitted woody shell that encloses the nut. The kernel, the part we call the almond, is flat, oval and pointed, with brown, papery skin and creamy white flesh.

Sweet almonds taste mild, buttery and faintly sweet, and are sold raw, blanched, roasted, flaked, slivered, ground, as butter, paste and oil, and in processed form as almond milk. Bitter almonds, from the variety amara, are smaller and contain amygdalin, which gives marzipan-like aroma but is not safe to eat raw.

The almond is native to the dry hills of southwestern and central Asia, from Iran and the Levant east to Central Asia. Wild forms are bitter, and sweet-kernelled trees arose from mutation and were selected by early farmers, with cultivation recorded in Bronze Age sites around the eastern Mediterranean. Almonds were found among the grave goods in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

The English word comes from Old French almande, from Latin amygdala, itself from Greek amygdale. The species name dulcis is Latin for sweet.

Almonds were among the earliest domesticated fruit trees, spread from West Asia by traders and farmers to the Mediterranean in antiquity. The Greeks and Romans grew them and used them in cooking and medicine, and almonds symbolise fertility and good fortune in many cultures, including the sugared almonds given at weddings in Italy, France and Greece.

Islamic agriculture in the Middle Ages spread almond growing across North Africa and into Spain and Portugal, and almond milk and marzipan became staples of medieval kitchens, particularly during Lent when dairy was forbidden. Spanish missionaries brought almonds to California in the 18th century, but commercial success came in the 20th century with irrigation and new varieties.

Today California is the world's largest producer, supplying the large majority of the world's almonds, with Spain, Australia, Iran and others also growing them. The crop has grown with the market for almond milk and snacks, and has also drawn debate about the heavy water use of orchards, bee pollination dependence, and regional sustainability.

Whole, sliced and ground almonds appear in cakes, pastries, granola, curries, sauces and stuffings. They are processed into almond butter, flour, paste for marzipan and frangipane, nougat, cold-pressed oil, and plant milks. Blanched almonds are used for ground almond sauces such as Spanish romesco and ajo blanco.

In traditional medicine, sweet almond oil is used as a carrier oil and skin emollient, and almonds are soaked and eaten in Ayurvedic and Unani practice. Almond hulls and shells are also used as livestock feed, bedding and fuel, so little of the harvest is wasted.

Almonds are a good source of monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, magnesium and fibre, and regular nut consumption, including almonds, is associated with better cholesterol levels and cardiovascular outcomes in observational and some intervention studies. They are energy-dense, so portion size matters, but nuts do not appear to cause weight gain when eaten in moderation. Almond milk does not provide the same protein as whole almonds.