Where do almonds come from? A brief history on this ancient food source.
Each year, the almond's popularity grows exponentially. From almond butter to almond milk, almond paste to raw almonds to snack on: Almonds are so popular that they were California's no. 1 agricultural export in 2021.
But as popular as they are now, they've been around a really long time. Native to the Mediterranean where almond trees grew wild, almonds were later cultivated by local people as long ago as 3000 BC, according to Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In fact, almonds are mentioned in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, as a food that can be given as a gift.
Have you ever wondered how almonds are harvested or where they’re grown? Here’s the nutty background on almonds.
Where do almonds come from?
Almonds are seeds harvested from the fruit of the almond tree, prunus dulcis, which is native to the Mediterranean.
The name "almond" comes from the common name of the tree species, but the name is used to identify the edible seed found in the fruit from the tree.
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How do almonds grow?
The almond tree can grow up to 15 feet tall. The tree is known for its aromatic, white-pinkish flowers pollinated by honeybees and grows fruit called a drupe which resembles a peach or plum. The drupe fruit contains a small pit in the middle exposed when the fleshy exterior dries and splits open. That pit is then harvested by a machine and prepared in several ways for consumption.
Where do almond trees grow?
Industrial producers plant almond trees in large orchards where climates are hot and dry in the summer and cool and moist in the winter.
80% of the world’s almond supply is produced in California’s farmlands; the other 20% is found in Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy. California alone produces more than 25 different species of almonds valued at $4.7 billion, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Are almonds nuts?
Almonds do not fall under the botanical definition of nuts. According to USDA, nuts are single-seeded fruit with a high oil content, enclosed in a leathery or solid outer layer. Because almonds grow in the middle of a fleshy fruit, they are not classified as a nut.
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What kinds of almonds are there?
There are two classifications for almonds: sweet and bitter.
Sweet almonds are the most common and easily accessible variation of almonds as they can be found in supermarkets and confections. These almonds are often processed and consumed like peanuts, walnuts and cashews.
Bitter almonds are not to be eaten like sweet almonds. These almonds have a high content of amygdalin, and consuming this chemical may be highly toxic for humans. Although bitter almonds are very similar to sweet almonds, they must undergo a different process for products to be completely safe. Whole bitter almonds are not used for snacking or baking like sweet almonds are. They are more often extracted for their oils to be safely used in medicine, liquor and select baked goods.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where do almonds come from? Here's how and where they grow.
