The seed of a small Mediterranean tree related to peaches and apricots, eaten raw, roasted, in baking, and processed into milk, flour, oil, and the famous Sicilian marzipan.
Drupe, not nut
Botanically, almonds are not nuts — they’re the seed of a drupe, like a peach pit. The tree (Prunus dulcis) produces a fuzzy green outer fruit that splits open as it ripens, exposing a hard pit; inside that pit is the edible almond seed.
Sweet vs. bitter
Two genetic forms exist:
- Sweet almonds (P. dulcis var. dulcis) — what we eat. A few thousand years of selection turned off the gene that produces the toxic compound.
- Bitter almonds (P. dulcis var. amara) — contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when chewed. Toxic raw; safe only after processing. Used to flavor liqueurs (amaretto, kirsch) and almond extract.
The two trees are visually identical; the difference is at the chemical level.
A California crop
Over 80% of the world’s commercial almond supply comes from California’s Central Valley. Almond cultivation has driven serious water-use debates — almonds need roughly a gallon of water per single nut to grow.
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Almonds starts with A and ends with S. Browse other foods along the same letter.
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