Almonds Prunus amygdalus (var. dulcis)
The almond tree, Prunus dulcis, is closely related to the peach, plum and apricot tree, but the seed rather than the fleshy fruit, is the edible portion. The seeds of apricots have many things in common with almonds, and they, like almonds, are also utilized in the manufacture of traditional almond products such as marzipan. Almonds constitute the world’s largest nut crop with California producing some 70% of the total world crop annually. Almonds are available in a number of varieties, the most common of which is the Nonpareil variety which is a flat nut and has a mild, sweet flavour. Other common varieties include the Mission variety which is a round nut with a rough dark skin particularly suited to roasting, the Carmel variety which is similar to the Nonpareil variety and the California variety which is a blend of several related varieties. Another type of almond is the bitter almond which contains high concentrations of benzaldehyde, which give it a pungent flavour, and for this reason it is not widely cultivated. Almonds are the most alkaline of all nuts and this, together with their balanced composition of nutrients, makes them one of the most beneficial foods. Almonds have a 52% fat content, and 67% of this is in the form of unsaturated fat, consisting mainly of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids.71,72 The combination of essential oils, proteins and fibre in almonds have been found to lower cholesterol levels, and almonds are also one of the richest sources of vitamin E, which is a natural anti-oxidant, preventing the formation of free radicals. Moreover, almonds supply appreciable quantities of the B-group vitamins, particularly niacin, and are also rich in calcium, and magnesium which promotes healthy nerve function. Almonds consist of 18,6% protein, and if combined with other nuts, particularly cashews and Brazil nuts, the protein availability improves. Almonds are ideal companions of cereals,75 and should, therefore, be one of the nuts of choice for muesli and other breakfast foods. Another way to enjoy almonds, is to convert them into almond butter or nut milk, the latter being particularly tasty and value for money. If almonds are blanched, then the brown skin is easily removed, and they have a milder flavour and a softer texture and nut butters made from blanched nuts may thus have greater eye appeal and a milder taste.
Table 7.15. The composition of selected nuts and seeds. The figures are for 100g portions. (Adapted from ref. 37)
Table 7.16. The essential amino acid composition of selected nuts and seeds, with values for rump steak and chicken given for comparison. The figures are for 100g portions. Values for arginine and histidine are given because they too can be limiting. (From ref. 17)