ISBN: 9781931498623 Year Added to Catalog: 2005 Book Format: Paperback Book Art: b&w illustrations, tables Number of Pages: 8 x 10, 344 pages Book Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Old ISBN: 1931498628 Release Date: January 28, 2005
Also in Food & Health
Whole Foods Companion
A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and Lovers of Natural Foods
The almond tree is part of the plum family—thus the genus Prunus. Dulcis means “sweet,” while amygdalus is the old Latin name for the almond. The English word almond came from the French amande, a derivative of amygdalus.
General Information
The graceful almond tree is native to North Africa, west Asia, and the Mediterranean. Botanically, almonds are a fruit—the ancient ancestor of later fruits that have large stones for seeds, like nectarines, peaches, plums, and apricots. The almond itself has a tough, greenish-gray hull that looks very much like a small, elongated peach. This hull splits open at maturity, revealing the familiar almond shell, which encases the edible nut. Two types of almonds are grown: sweet and bitter. The sweet is the only one used as a nut, mostly for desserts and confectionery items. Bitter almonds are cheaper and easier to grow but contain prussic acid and are suitable for use only after the removal of this poison by heat. The bitter almond provides the main source of bitter almond oil, which is used both as a flavoring and as an ingredient in cosmetic skin preparations. Early on, almonds became popular throughout Europe. An inventory of the household goods of the queen of France in 1372 listed five hundred pounds of almonds, versus only twenty pounds of sugar. Almonds were brought to California in 1843 by Spanish missionaries, and today this state produces the world’s largest share of almonds. They remain a dominant nut in world trade and the most widely grown and eaten tree nut.
Culinary Uses
For freshness, purchase whole almonds and then slice or chop them just prior to use. The thin brown skin of a shelled almond should be intact and unscratched, as it provides some protection from rancidity. Slice an almond kernel in half and examine its texture. A solid white nutmeat denotes freshness, while a honeycomb-textured kernel or yellow color indicates rancidity. Although the skin is edible, some authorities claim that it should be removed because of its astringent tendencies. Almonds are widely used in confectionery, are made into drinks and liqueurs, combine successfully with cheese and vegetables to make a good stuffing, and may be added raw to salads. Use almonds in tandem with almond oil for reinforced flavor in baking or to give body to a salad dressing. Raw, whole almonds will sprout. Indeed, sprouted almonds are very delicious; many people consider them to have a much better flavor than dry, unsprouted almonds. Don’t sprout them for longer than twenty-four to thirty-six hours or else the sprouts may turn rancid.
Health Benefits
pH > 6.0. Demulcent, emollient. Almonds are traditionally regarded as having special healing and protecting properties; some doctors even “prescribe” almonds daily for their patients. The most alkaline of all nuts (but still slightly acidic), almonds are particularly valuable as an essential “building food” for those who are underweight. Their high fat, carbohydrate, and protein content make them an ideal food for strengthening the body when there is no need to worry about the increase in the supply of fat. Almonds contain a small amount of amygdalin, better known as laetrile, which has resulted in their gaining a reputation as an anticancer food. According to Ayurvedic medicine, almonds build and strengthen the bones, nerves, and reproductive system. Best eaten raw, they are easy to digest when well masticated or ground fine.
Note: Since almonds have a high ratio of arginine to lysine, they should be avoided by individuals susceptible to cold sores or herpes infections; arginine promotes (and lysine prevents) the activation of the virus.
Lore and Legend
Greek mythology relates that a beautiful Thracian princess named Phyllis was deserted on her wedding day by her lover, Demophon. After waiting many years for him to return, she eventually died of a broken heart. In sympathy and for eternal compensation, the gods transformed her into an almond tree (called phyla by the Greeks), a symbol of hope. When Demophon finally returned it was too late, and when the leafless, flowerless, and forlorn tree was shown him as the memorial of Phyllis, he clasped it in his arms, whereupon it burst forth into bloom—an emblem of true love inextinguishable by death. In Greece almonds in uneven numbers of three, five, or seven are offered to guests for good fortune and happiness at christenings, weddings, and the ordination of priests. Shelled almonds and raisins, combined, were early symbols of good luck for Jews. The nuts and fruits, packaged together, are still popular in eastern Europe.
Another beautiful legend comes from Portugal. A Moorish prince from the deep south of Portugal (Algarve) married a Scandinavian princess, who pined away in that snowless land for lack of winter and the sight of snow. Her prince relieved her homesickness by planting almond trees so thickly along the entire coast that when they bloomed, their white blossoms covered the land each spring with a snowy-white blanket.
Byproducts
Almond butter is made from either raw or roasted almonds ground to a creamy consistency. It can be used on toast or in baked goods, wherever you would use peanut butter.
Almond extract is made from the oil of the bitter almond, a cousin to the sweet almond. The oil is diluted with water and alcohol to make this common flavoring.
Almond milk is made from almonds that have been soaked, crushed, and strained. This delicately sweet and satisfying beverage is a wonderful dairy-free and soy-free milk that can be directly substituted for cow’s milk. Although it is available commercially, almond milk can be produced easily at home, and the result is fresher and sweeter.
Almond oil is made by crushing whole raw almonds to extract the oil. Food-grade almonds are expensive, making a quality almond oil expensive and very difficult to find in a truly cold-pressed form. Unrefined almond oil is sweet, pleasant tasting, and known for its high content of vitamins A and E. Therapeutically, the oil has been used for treating gastric ulcers, as a laxative, and as an antiseptic for the intestines, as well as to help stabilize the nervous system. It is also a time-honored balm for dry or sunburned skin, a skin beautifier, and a massage oil.
The Bay leaves are of as necessary use as any other in the garden or orchard, for they serve both for pleasure and profit, both for ornament and for use, both for honest civil uses and for physic, yea, both for the sick and the sound, both for the living and the dead; . . . so that from the cradle to the grave we still have use of it, we still have need of it.
—John Parkinson, Garden of Flowers (1629)
Its botanical name emphasizes the respect with which the ancient held this plant: the Latin Laurus means “to praise” and nobilis means “renowned” or “famous.” The English word bay derives from the Latin baca, meaning “berry.”
General Information
The stately, fragrant bay tree is indigenous to the Mediterranean basin, growing especially near the coasts of the three continents surrounding the Mediterranean Sea but also extending its range inland and northeast to the Black Sea coast of Turkey. It was so highly valued in all the Mediterranean regions that a Roman gold coin of 342 B.C. has a laurel wreath modeled upon its surface. Usually a shrub or small tree, the leaves are dark green and somewhat glossy, as leathery and as thin as when they are dried. The leaves are gathered by hand in mid- to late summer by mountain peasants—picked in the morning and dried in the shade lest they turn brown. Leaves from the American bay (Umbellularia californica) have a camphor-and-paint smell and an awful taste. These are sometimes sold for culinary uses but should be avoided. Instead, seek out the best European bay you can find.
Culinary Uses
Bay leaves have an aromatic perfume and a strong, spicy flavor reminiscent of pine, nutmeg, and pepper. When the leaves are shredded or crushed, the aroma and flavor are even more apparent. Fresh leaves are strongly scented, bitter, and not to everyone’s taste. They are best left to dry and mellow for a few days, although not for too long, as old dried leaves will be quite flavorless. Newly dried leaves are sweet in the sense that cinnamon and clove are sweet, with a grassy freshness. Popular in Mediterranean cooking, bay leaves are usually used when preparing meats but can also be added to stews, casseroles, and soup stocks. By their very nature, bay leaves provide support to other seasonings. They should be used sparingly because of their strong flavor, with one-half to one leaf all that is needed for a medium-sized pot of soup or stew. The whole leaves do not cook down and should be removed before the dish is served. Bay leaves appear to repel roaches, moths, and fleas. Put a whole leaf in a canister of flour to keep insects out, or put whole leaves on the floor of your closet, in drawers where woolen clothes are stored, or around the drain under the sink in your kitchen.
Health Benefits
Antiseptic, relaxant. Bay has an ancient reputation of being beneficial to the health and happiness of humans. A pleasant tonic that gives tone and strength to the digestive organs, bay is especially good for soothing the stomach, relieving abdominal cramps, and relieving flatulence. Bay oil is said to benefit sprains, bruises, and skin rashes; studies show that it has bactericidal and fungicidal properties, as well as having narcotic and sedative effects on mice. In the past a decoction of the leaves was used to bring on menses and to ease childbirth, bring about a speedy delivery, and expel the afterbirth. Too much, it is said, can cause abortion. American Indians have used bay leaves in hot baths for rheumatism and place them on their heads to cure headaches. They also place a piece of the fresh leaf inside the nostril to clear the breathing passages and refresh the brain. To help prevent tooth decay, buy a toothpaste with bay in it.
Lore and Legend
Legend has it that we owe the bay laurel to Apollo, Greek god of prophecy, poetry, and medicine. It seems that one day Apollo scolded Cupid for some unseemly conduct and called him a mere child. The usually charming but mischievous Cupid decided to avenge the insult, and succeeded in shooting Apollo with a golden arrow to induce passionate longing for the first woman he saw; Cupid then loosed a second arrow of lead to cause that woman to be equally repelled. While traversing the verdant forest, Apollo came upon the lithe and lovely wood nymph Daphne, and the effect of the golden shaft was immediate. He saw before him not merely a wood nymph but a goddess of superb beauty with attributes of wisdom and charm beyond all description. However, Daphne felt such repugnance that she fled in panic. Apollo eagerly pursued and entreated her, but she refused to stop; when the capture seemed inevitable, Daphne prayed urgently to the gods to take from her the physical form that had so enchanted Apollo, and under his grasping hands her feet were rooted into the ground, her body and upraised arms thickened into a tree trunk and limbs covered not with silky skin but rough bark, and her blowing hair turned into rustling leaves. The amazed Apollo was inconsolable but determined that his unrequited love would take another form, and thus decreed that the tree would remain green during both summer and winter, and that its leaves would be the badge of honor and glory for those who excelled in courage or accomplishment. Laurel wreaths were given the victors in the Pythian Games and at the first Olympics in 776 B.C. in honor of Apollo.
It was believed that laurel endowed prophets with vision, and the Pythian priestesses at Delphi, the oracle dedicated to Apollo, chewed laurel leaves to induce oracular powers. Since the leaves are mildly narcotic in large doses, they may have induced the required trance states. When the ancient Greek civilization flourished, bay branches from the sacred groves near the healing temples were gathered and woven into wreaths to honor great artistic figures, victors, heroes, and athletes. Physicians, upon completing their studies, were crowned with wreaths of berried laurel branches, the “baca lauris,” and students even today receive their baccalaureate degrees.
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