Only the fruit from the white-flowering almond trees is sweet!
The almond is already mentioned in the books of Moses as one of the best fruits of the Orient. It originates from Central Asia and travelled from Greece to Italy in the 5th century BC. It was also the Romans who brought the almond to our region via trade routes.
The almond is a stone fruit, but only the seed (kernel) of the mostly white-flowered sweet almond is edible. The pink-flowered bitter almond is inedible. The seed is surrounded by a hard seed coat (stone) and this in turn is surrounded by a leathery fruit skin. When the fruit is ripe, the shell bursts open and can be removed. After harvesting from the beginning of September, the fruit must still dry in the shells.
Almond trees prefer lime-rich soil, tolerate drought and love warmth and sun. Overall, however, the trees are very undemanding and are considered to be the trees of the future for dry regions.
The almond blossom on the German Wine Route is an impressive natural spectacle that attracts more and more visitors to the Palatinate every year. Both the white-flowering, edible varieties such as the ‘Dürkheimer Krachmandel’, the ‘Prinzessmandel’ and the “Palatina” grow here, as well as the non-edible, pink-flowering variety ‘Perle der Weinstraße’.
Depending on weather conditions, the almond trees transform the landscape into a sea of white and pink blossom between the end of February and the beginning of April. The centre of the Palatinate almond blossom is only a few kilometres away from Speyer.
You can make your own roasted almonds with this recipe:
- 250 g sweet almonds
- 250 g sugar
- 125 ml water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a large pan, add the almonds and continue to boil. Stir constantly until all the liquid has evaporated. However, the mixture should not caramelise. Place the almonds on a baking tray and spread as evenly as possible. About 30 minutes later, the roasted almonds are ready!
Or you prefer it sweet: almond slivers
- 150 g almond slivers
- 4 tablespoons icing sugar
- 4 cl cherry brandy
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 50 g milk chocolate
Mix the almond slivers on a baking tray with 2 tbsp icing sugar and 2 cl cherry brandy and roast in a preheated oven at 180 degrees (fan oven 160 degrees) for 5 minutes, turning several times.
Then remove from the oven and mix with the remaining icing sugar and cherry brandy, brown in the oven for a further 5 minutes, turning and then leave to cool.
In the meantime, chop both types of chocolate and melt in a bain-marie. Stir in the almond slivers and, using a teaspoon, place small portions on baking paper and leave to cool.