Almond tree is a typical fruit Mediterranean variety. Botanically it is classified as the member of Rosacea family, Prunus genus, Amygdalus subgenus.

Almond trees are very resistant and of long standing, in basin of Mediterranean Sea they live from 60 to 80 years, sometimes even a century. They are also grown in California. In Mediterranean countries the almonds in hard shells are grown traditionally. Most of Spanish grown varieties have hard, non-porous shells, what differs them from Californian varieties in soft shells.

Edible part of almond fruit is a big kernel shelled from hard shell. There is a white, edible kernel after taking off a thin, brown skin.

Almonds contain about 55 % of fat, 21 % of proteins and about 15 % of sugar. They are very nutritious, they have a very nice, mild taste, eaten both natural and roasted.

Almonds are sold as kernels and in diffrent forms: in skin or without, natural or roasted, diced, slivered, sliced, milled. They are mainly used in food industry for cakes, chocolates, in beverage and oil industry and as valuable ingredient of cosmetics (balms, creams, soaps, olives).

Apart from almond called "sweet", there is another variety of almonds "bitter" with characteristic aroma (almond oil).