Almond Resources

For detailed information to your almond questions visit The Almond Board of California.

Unlike other flowering fruit trees that bear edible fruit, the almond tree's "pearl" is the delicious nut found inside the fruit. Mentioned as far back in history as the Bible, almonds were once a prized ingredient in breads served to Egypt's pharaohs. The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm.

While their exact ancestry is unknown, almonds are believed to have originated in China and Central Asia. Later, they were introduced to the Mediterranean. Today almonds are grown throughout the U.S., Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. They are marketed in various forms including in-shell, shelled, blanched, slivered, chopped, roasted, sweetened and salted.

Almonds are one of the most versatile tree nuts. They are a delicious and healthy snack and can also be used in confectionery (marzipan, "turron", nougat...), food products (i.e., almond milk, ice cream, chocolate) and culinary recipes. Almonds are also often used as a cosmetic base.