| Almonds Riding a Demand That’s Going Nuts |
| Friday, 21 May 2010 16:06 | |||
 Modesto, California, May 2010 — Almonds may be small little rascals, but there’s a lot packed into each one. From zero cholesterol to 13 essential nutrients, it’s the nut that, ounce for ounce, adds more value to just about anything, including a great-tasting crunch.
And consumers evidently know it. That’s why every year demand for products with almonds keeps going up. In fact, in 2008, almonds became the leading nut introduced globally. So go ahead and serve up some healthy appeal with your next product or recipe, just make sure almonds are in there somewhere. For most people, the words “ancient history,” usually awaken images of dinosaurs and prehistoric man—not almonds. But it may come as a surprise how far back these delightful, little tree nuts really go. Turns out, all of us modern-day almond lovers are in very good company. Throughout history, almonds have maintained religious, ethnic, and social significance. The Bible’s book of Numbers tells of Aaron’s rod that blossomed and bore almonds, using them as a symbol to represent the divine approval of Aaron by God. The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm. There are documented findings that nutmeats and dried fruits were treated as delicacies of the time, as the cultivation of these foods was not very prevalent. About 1,000 years ago almond trees were already flourishing in areas such as Spain, Morocco, Greece, and Israel. So it was only natural for explorers to pop a few almonds while traveling the Silk Road between the Mediterranean region and China. The almond tree was brought over to us when introduced to California via Spain in the mid-1700s by the Franciscan Padres. But the moist, cool weather of the coastal mission area did not provide optimum growing conditions. It wasn’t until the following century that trees were successfully planted inland. By the 1870s, research and crossbreeding had developed several of today’s prominent almond varieties. By the turn of the 20th century, the almond industry was firmly established in the Sacramento and San Joaquin areas of California’s great Central Valley. Over the past 30 years, California’s almond yield has quadrupled. More than half a million acres are under almond cultivation, stretching 400 miles between Bakersfield and Red Bluff. The modern industry of today reveals a different look at almonds. Now focused on highly advanced methods of production sorting, hulling and processing, the industry still maintains its down-to-earth goodness invoked by this simple nut. Almonds are California's largest tree nut crop in total dollar value and acreage. They rank as the largest U.S. specialty crop export, as well as the top agricultural export of the state of California. To learn more about almond history, versatility, exploding consumer demand, nutrition profile, plus some great recipes, visits AlmondBoard.com. SOURCE: Almond Board
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