I love nuts and there are so many things you can do with them. Over the years, we learned that we can make milk with nuts, cheeses, creams, sauces, flour, etc…

But the use of nuts in cooking is not exactly a new thing, particularly almonds. 

From Greek mythology to the Bible, everyone mentions the almond. Originally from West and Central Asia, almonds have been “domesticated” around the fourth millennium BC, or possibly even earlier.

Before this domestication process took place, almonds contained deadly levels of cyanide and were extremely bitter to humans. It took a natural mutation of the almond itself for it to become sweet and safe for human consumption and then started to become a very popular and appreciated food in the Middle East. 

By the first millennium BC almonds began to spread throughout Greece, becoming a super important ingredient used to treat various diseases and also as an aphrodisiac.

From the end of the first millennium, almonds began to be marketed all over the Mediterranean, particularly in Italy, Spain, and of course, Portugal. 

Its gastronomic applications did not take long to happen due to its flavor and versatility. In Portugal, for example, traditional and conventual sweets are full of almond recipes.

All this context to tell you that yes, almond is a passion not only in Portugal but all over the world and recipes made with this ingredient are always special and full of symbolism.