We happened to park on Robson in front of a grocery store called Homa Market so I went in to pick up a few things. When paying, something caught my eye – Green Almonds? I didnt know the almonds were a fruit and I’ve only seen blanched almonds and roasted almonds, never knew they had an exterior green shell in their young days.
Green almonds are only available for six weeks in a year (April-June) making it a special treat and delicacy to be enjoyed! It is a common snack in the Middle East and Israel.
So I was not about to buy something so new and odd looking without a taste! The owner happily obliged in letting us taste a green almond. His instructions: Eat the whole thing!
My friend and I tried it! Wow – it’s got a green fuzzy crunchy salty exterior with a nutty, fruity, sour interior. I have never tasted or bit into anything quite like it – and trust me I’ve eaten a lot of things!!
I went home and searched online for other people’s descriptions:
1. They taste like an unripend peach with a little bit of cherry, says chef Steve Rosen from Salts in Cambridge, Mass.
2. They taste almost like a tart green apple, but, um, nuttier, says Shawn from New York
3. Its interior kernel is soft and cucumber-like in taste, says Alineaphile
Alright so I wasn’t crazy after all. After my first green almond, I knew that its unique flavour and texture and special 6-week availability must have been noticed by chefs out there!
Thomas Keller picks Green Almonds fresh from the orchard and has been known to pair it with his famous sautéed sirloin. Chef Laurent Manrique of Aqua pairs green almonds with fish to bring balance to salty dishes like striped sea bass with saffron rice. Alinea happens to include it in their cookbook. This blog makes me want to make Green Almonds in Cucumber Gelée.
The Jewish newspaper also provides some salad recipes that use green almonds.
Thought this short post might help inspire home chefs and professional chefs alike to use a new ingredient! You’ve got to hurry though, only a few weeks left to get these!
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Tags: almond, green almond, Ingredient
