The almond, thousands of years of infatuation!
It is said that the almond tree comes originally from Iran. The Bible mentions it several times, indicating that it comes from Palestine. It was introduced into Egypt by the Hebrews and into Europe by the Greeks. The Romans called it “the Greek nut”, and planted it in Italy. In France it has been cultivated in the south east since the fifth century B.C., particularly in Haute Provence where the PERLAMANDE factory is situated.
The almond tree, Prunus dulcis (also named Prunus amygdalus), is a tree in the Rosaceous family, like the plum tree, the apple tree, and more generally trees with fruit containing a kernel.
The fruit of the almond tree is made up of a thin layer of pulp with a green downy coat which dries in the autumn and splits open to reveal a nut consisting of a hard shell and, inside this, the edible almond encased in a brown-coloured skin.
This triple protection gives the almond a natural taste and nutritional qualities. Mother Nature has done the maximum to protect what she produces!
Early but sensitive to frost!
The almond is the first tree to flower in the spring, well before the leaves appear. Although the tree itself is very resistant to the cold, this flowering is often the victim of springtime frosts.
The white flowers have 5 petals and are pollinated by bees. In fact most of the varieties have to be fertilized by pollen from a different variety, brought by the bees and other honey gathering insects, in order to produce nuts. Plantations of almond trees must always contain a mixture of different varieties.
The almonds can be gathered before they are ripe in June, and consumed immediately. The dried nuts are gathered in September-October, by hand or by shaking the trees.
Bitter almonds, sweet almonds
The most consumed almonds are the sweet ones. The bitter varieties have a characteristic smell because of the presence of prussic acid, which has caused them to be considered poisonous. In fact they can be eaten in small quantities without any risk. So they are used in, for example, cakes and confectionery because they give an agreeable perfume. An essence used as a food additive can also be extracted.
World production
The United States,where the almond tree was introduced in the middle of the 19th century, has become the main producer in the world (1 million tonnes of kernels): the kernels from California have a good name, especially for their perfect shape. Spain is second with 100,000 tonnes, then Italy (40,000 tonnes) and Greece (16,000 tonnes).
France produces about 1,000 tonnes, that is to say 5% of its needs. The french territories Bouches du Rhône, Alpes de Haute Provence, Languedoc Roussillon and Corsica supply 80% of this production.
