As Christmas draws near, do you find that certain foods remind you so much of the holidays? The smells of Christmas include cinnamon and cloves and ginger, but the tastes of Christmas might include almonds.
Mom always used to make a delicious almond slice cookie, with either green or red sugar on the outside. This recipe called for chilling the logs of dough overnight, and I used to love seeing them stacked in the fridge because I knew what delectable delights were going to be baking the next day! While Mom always had something wonderful baked for us to enjoy, these cookies were among the handful of recipes that were saved just for Christmas.
So what do we know about almonds? I didn’t know much about them at all, so I did some homework and I learned that almonds grow in a warm, Mediterranean-type climate, growing on trees that can reach over thirty feet tall. I learned an interesting factoid that almonds are known as “drupes”: that is, there is an outer covering before we get to the actual almond as we know it. If we were to see an almond just off the tree, it would have a leathery outer covering, not looking at all how we envision an almond. The shell is beneath this covering, and then the almond itself is within the shell.
An even more interesting factoid is the role that bees play in the production of almonds. California grows a huge amount of almonds, and each year almost a million hives are brought to California to pollinate the almond trees.
Imagine that! The crisis of the bees in recent years has had a dramatic impact on the whole process, so now researchers are working on developing an almond that is self-pollinating.
Almonds are a favorite part of holiday nibbling, often added to chocolate barks, snacks like nuts and bolts, or candied and added to popcorn. That was another thing Sweet Pea always made for us for Christmas: caramel popcorn with almonds. I can’t begin to tell you how heavenly that smelled. It was a treat that disappeared very quickly!
At Christmas, treats of marzipan are enjoyed in many countries. Marzipan is a candy dough made from ground almonds and honey. It can be shaped or molded into delightful shapes: at this time it is common to see it in the small version of various fruits. And gosh, I wish we could find this: a little marzipan pig! This is a tradition that began in Germany back in the middle ages. A family was very lucky if they had a pig, because they would not be hungry over the winter. So this little piggy became a good luck symbol! If we were over in Germany between Christmas and New Year’s, someone might give us a “Glückschwein”, a little marzipan pig, to bring us good luck in the coming year! If we were in Spain, we would be enjoying “mazapan” which legend says was created by the sisters at the convent of San Clemente. During a time of famine, the sisters made a mixture of sugar and almonds which helped feed the starving villagers. No matter where is actually began, the confection of marzipan, made from almonds, is a delicious treat for the holidays.
And anytime, almonds are a healthy snack, loaded with vitamins, calcium, iron and fiber. So there you have it: bring out the almonds this Christmas! A fascinating plant with much history!
The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society is busy planning our events for next year: I’ll keep you posted! Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a great week!
