Looking for blog inspiration, I discover that 16 February is National Almonds Day. I love almonds. Here are some fun facts to celebrate National Almond Day #NationalAlmondDay.
- Almonds are California’s top agricultural export and largest tree nut crop (dollar value and acreage). In fact 80% of the world’s almonds are produced in California.
- Almonds are an excellent source of Vitamin E.
- The almond tree is native to the Middle East and South Asia. Some sources claim that the earliest varieties were found in China and then carried by traders down the ancient Silk Road to Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East.
- The almond tree belongs to the Prunus family – same as the peach tree. The peach kernel looks similar, doesn’t it.
- The second largest almond producer in the world is Spain, where production is concentrated in the Mediterranean coastal regions.
- Almond trees are long-lasting … in the Mediterranean, trees live between 60 and 80 years, even up to a century.
- Almonds are one of the lowest calorie nuts.
- You can make your own almond milk – Sarah Jackson, The Fermented Foody, shows you how.
- Almonds can be used to bake gluten free cakes. Here’s one of my favourite recipes, Apple & Almond cake.
- Almonds are popular in Middle East cuisine.
- Almonds are the key ingredient in frangipane. You can’t beat a raspberry & frangipane tart!
- And what about Macarons.
Happy #NationalAlmondDay. Hope these fun facts prompt you to try almonds as a snack, as milk or in baking today.
Sources: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/almonds.html, http://www.waterfordnut.com/facts.html, http://www.almonds.co.uk/, http://jimspanishalmonds.com/, http://www.mrmacaron.com/history/
Leave a Reply