Bitter almonds

Today, the assortment of nuts and dried fruits simply amazes with its diversity. These products can be purchased in the nearest store, and their prices are not particularly high. So, one of the most popular types of nuts is almonds, but it is the sweet variety of this representative of stone. But bitter almonds remain practically unclaimed from our consumer, although they are not entirely deserved.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that the composition of bitter almonds contains many poisonous substances, for example, hydrocyanic acid, which in large doses is really very harmful, and sometimes dangerous to human health. But with proper heat treatment, these elements evaporate.

But compressed laterally and pointed from one end, hot almond kernels contain a lot of essential oils that provide bitterness and at the same time an unsurpassed rich almond aroma. Thanks to such properties, this nut, in particular its oil, is very highly valued in perfumes and cooking.

In general, it is quite difficult to distinguish between sweet and bitter almonds, one might say, it is simply impossible, so when buying a nut, you can rely solely on the honesty of the supplier. Although according to the generally accepted standard, mixing of these two types of almonds is not allowed. The only distinctive feature of bitter almonds for a simple layman is a too hard shell, which is quite difficult to simply break with your hands and therefore you have to resort to the help of a hammer.

Interestingly, eating bitter almonds is significantly different from using its sweet version for culinary purposes. So, sweet almonds can be added to dishes without special restrictions, while bitter almonds are enough to take only a couple of nucleoli.

One way or another, after thermal treatment, bitter almonds get rid of their inherent harmful substances and give the finished dishes a unique aroma and significantly improve their taste. It is used by confectioners around the world to make a variety of flour products and desserts, such as cakes, muffins, pies or cakes. In addition, in the national cuisines of Indonesia and China, it is quite often added to numerous dishes based on rice, meat and poultry.