Almonds
Flavour Profile
Mildly sweet, nutty and earthy. When raw, they have a subtle floral note and a hard snap. When roasted, they develop a deep toasted aroma and a more brittle, crunchy texture.
Health Benefits
Vitamin E to protect your cells, magnesium to release energy and keep your muscles working, and a decent hit of fibre and protein. Almonds are a good all-rounder.
Buying Tips
Buy whole almonds with the skins on for the most flavour and nutrition. If buying flaked or slivered, ensure the bag is airtight as the increased surface area makes them go rancid faster. Avoid 'roasted' almonds that are coated in poor quality vegetable oils; buy them raw and roast them yourself.
Storage
Store almonds in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. Their high fat content means they can pick up smells from other foods or turn rancid if exposed to heat and oxygen for too long. For long-term storage, keep them in the fridge or freezer.
Cooking Uses
Almonds are workhorses. Blitz them into a crumb for coating fish, toss them into salads for a crunch, or blend them with water for a creamy dairy alternative. They are the backbone of many sweets, from marzipan to macarons, but work equally well in savoury dishes like romesco sauce or North African tagines.
Forkin Food Theory
Think of an almond not as a nut, but as a botanical cousin to the peach. They are both 'drupes' or stone fruits.
While we eat the soft flesh of the peach and throw away the stone, with almonds, we do the opposite. We discard the leathery outer hull and eat the seed inside the pit.
This explains why almonds and stone fruits like cherries, apricots and peaches taste so good together. They share similar aromatic compounds, specifically benzaldehyde, which gives that classic 'amaretto' scent.
Wild & Wonderful
Almonds are one of the most rancidity-prone nuts. The oils start turning the moment they're shelled.
If a raw almond tastes bitter, sharp, or like a crayon, it's gone. Don't bake with it — it'll wreck the dish.
Buy small quantities, keep them in the fridge or freezer, and toast them just before using. Toasted almonds taste of almonds; old raw ones taste of cupboard.
Blanched, flaked, ground, slivered — all the same nut, different surface areas. The more surface area, the faster they go off.