In praise of Almond Blossom

There can be nothing more destructive to the human spirit than a period of prolonged rain. Grey skies accompanied by a dampness which appears to permeate everything. But what a difference a couple of days can make. The sun has arisen with healing in its wings.

After one of the wettest Januarys in Andalucia for many years there has been a welcome return to sunshine. Alongside the sunshine the almond blossom is resplendent on the trees. When the almond tree attires itself in blossom it lights up the hillsides. You could be forgiven for thinking, at a distance, that the trees were covered in a mantle of snow. There can be no greater pleasure that walking along a hillside track, with the sound of olive harvesters hard at work echoing over the valley, and smelling the aromatic scent of the blossom.

The almond tree in this part of Spain is not a commercial crop. You will find trees interspersed through the olive groves. One here, one there; just enough for the farmer to harvest for his family’s use. Three trees grow in my own garden. You do wonder how the tree came to be grown in this area as it’s not a native. Almond trees are native to India, and westward to Israel, Syria and Turkey. At some time in Andalucia’s long history an invader - the Roman’s, the Moor’s or some earlier visitor - brought the Almond tree as part of their luggage. No better present could have been left behind after their departure.

The almond is an unusual plant. It’s a part of the genus Prunus, which makes it a relative of the apricot. Therefore the nut which you, and I eat, is not a nut at all – it’s a drupe. What’s a drupe I hear you say? Simply a drupe is a seed which is surrounded by an outer fleshy part. In an apricot you eat the fleshy part – when you reach the seed (or stone) in the middle you discard it. The almond after harvesting is left in the sun to dry, after which you dispose of the fleshy exterior. It is the seed in the middle which we keep and, after removing the shell, consume.

What does almond blossom and Indiana Jones have in common? Answer: the ‘Treasure of the Lost Ark’, I wonder if he knew that the ceremonial candlestick, which was an important part of the treasure, had almond blossom to thank for a central part of its design. Read Exodus 25 – there you will find that when Moses was assembling the candlestick he was told to make the cups at the end of each of the branches the shape of Almond Blossom.

So remember the February Almond Blossom in this part of Andalucia is a breathtaking spectacle which must be seen to be truly appreciated.