Thanks to a long history of human agriculture, trade and migration Andalucia’s majestic landscape is very much the product of man as well as nature. One introduced species which transforms huge swathes of countryside in early spring is the edible Almond, prunus dulcis, with its spectacular white or soft pink blossom. Not only does the almond blossom transform the landscape, but its fruit, the almond nut, plays a major role in the agricultural economy and in the local culture.
The Origin of Almonds in Spain
Sweet almonds appear to have originated in Western Asia and North Africa, but the, tasty almond nuts, cultivated since biblical times and highly prized by the Greeks and Romans, quickly spread around the shores of the Mediterranean.
However, it was the Moors who first introduced almond trees to Spain in any numbers. According to one charming legend, an 11th Century ruler of Seville, the Caliph Al Mutamid, was responsible for planting great almond orchards all around Cordoba. His favourite wife, Al Rumaikiya, was homesick for the winter snows of her childhood home in the north, and to please her Al Mutamid had the plains and hillsides surrounding the city planted so thickly with almonds that when it blossomed the entire countryside looked as though it was blanketed by a late winter snowfall.
Almond Growing Areas In Axarquia
Whether this story is true or not, many hillsides around Andalusia are even today painted white, or sometimes pink, with almond blossom in late January and early February and the province as a whole is still a major almond growing area; Spain is second only to the United States as a world almond producer and Andalusia is one of the three main almond growing areas in Spain.
A number of villages around Nerja and Velez Malaga in Axarquia are renowned for their almonds. The great rock buttress and jumbled houses of the hill village of Comares seems to float above a white cloud of almond blossom in late winter, so thickly do the trees grow on the precipitous slopes below, and the women of the village dart from their houses to greet visitors walking through its narrow winding streets, pressing them to buy the delicious nuts, and thick sweet Comares wine. Further to the east, the mountain valley between the villages of Archez and Arenas is garlanded with pink and white almond blossom for almost its entire length.
The Almond in Andalucian Culture and Cuisine
Since growing almonds is such a major part of the agricultural economy, almonds feature strongly in Andalucian cuisine, often in dishes of Arab origin. The almond is a principle ingredient in many cakes and sweets, like turon or almond nougat, and mantecados, light sweet cakes. It´s possibly enjoyed above all in Ajo Blanco, a delicious chilled soup based on almonds and garlic.
But almonds are also an excuse for a good party to celebrate the almond harvest. Then, the Andalucian village of Almachar outdoes even Comares in its enthusiasm for almonds. Its annual feast, la Fiesta del Ajoblanco, celebrates the end of the almond harvest with a party built around its famous Ajo Blanco; every September up to 10,000 thousand visitors help the people of Almachar to down around 3,500 litres of the delicious soup.
Al Mutamid’s gift to his wife, was also a gift to Spain; the almond is a key ingredient in many tasty dishes, and in many areas the landscape is enriched by the beauty of its tree - so if you look out of your window one January morning and see the slopes around you covered in white, don’t grab your skis too quickly – it may just be almond blossom.
Tony Allen - In 2004 I began my "fourth career" as a freelance writer. In my first career, after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I ...
