I said to the almond tree,
"Sister, speak to me of God."
And the almond tree blossomed.
This quotation is from one of my favorite books, Report to Greco, by Nikos Kazantzakis. Since then, I've been enthralled by the idea of a blossoming almond tree in a field in Greece.
Almonds are one of my favorite "nuts" and I find that depending on how they are prepared (or left alone), their sweetness now reminds me of the quotation above. Earlier this week when I made marzipan, I blanched almonds by using the method of pouring boiling water over them. When I drained them, the sweet smell was wonderful and I couldn't stop thinking of almond tea. I don't recommend that method for blanching almonds, but would almost do it just for the aroma.
I wondered if people actually make almond tea and a couple of days later remembered that I have had some by Celestial Seasonings. But I wanted to make my own. So far, my searches have only led me to recipes using instant tea and almond extract. I want a recipe using real almond tea, the water steeped with almonds. I will try one of the versions with extract, but one day will experiment with my own.
Though the almond is usually called a nut, it is actually a seed that is related to plums, apricots, and cherries. Blossoming apricot trees and the apricot seed are very similar (teaviews.com). Almonds' nutritious benefits include cancer prevention, calcium, and Vitamin E.
Almond trees naturally thrive in the Mediterranean and are thought to have originated in China and Central Asia; the conditions in California's Central Valley are also great for almond growth (Nutfarm).
Picture Credits
Almond Tree: Journey with Robert Jones, February 1, 2005
Almond: Victoriana Nursery Gardens
Almond Blossom: Limes & Lycopene, "How to Use Almonds," August 14, 2007
Posts
