The earliest varieties of almonds were found in China, carried by traders down the ancient silk road to Greece, Turkey and the Middle East. Both almonds and dates are mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Distributing sugared almonds wrapped in tulle as a wedding favor is a tradition dating back to early European history. The almond “bonbonieres” symbolized children, happiness, romance, good health and fortune.
Botanically, the almond is a stone fruit related to the cherry, the plum, and the peach. The next time you eat a peach, crack open the pit. Inside, you’ll find what looks like a small almond, but don’t eat it.
In the mid-1700s, the Franciscan Padres brought almonds to the U.S. by planting almond trees at their missions along El Camino Real, the road that stretched along the California coast to San Diego to Sonoma.
California provides roughly 80% of the world’s almond supply.
California almonds are harvested by mechanical shakers that shake the trees. The almonds fall and are blown onto the ground, where they are blown into windrows and collected for shipment to the huller.
