Almond

Almond trees have their origin in the mountainous areas of central and west Asia. It has been found in Sicily since the 5th millennium B.C. In Egypt almonds accompanied the Pharaohs in their eternal journey. Almonds were particularly appreciated by Romans and they used to call them nuces grecae , they believed in fact that almond were originally from Greece. In ancient Greece, almonds are connected to the myth of Phyllis and Acamas, therefore becoming symbol of hope. Almond trees flower in winter December to March - their colours go from white to pink, it is one of the key traits of the myth of the neverending Sicilian spring. Almond and Olive trees are the famous “forest of almond and olives” in the Valley of the Temples as described by L. Pirandello in his novel “I vecchi e i giovani”. The fruits are used in bakery and to make almond milk. The oil is extracted from the almonds and has cosmetic and medicinal properties and these are have been known since the older days. The husk used to be used to produce soap or as a fertilizer.