Smoked Ham and Almond Soup

I have had this unusual soup several times in Hong Kong, but there it is made with chopped pigs’ innards. I have concluded, on the basis of very little research, that smoked ham is preferred by Western palates. The almond flavour in this recipe is stronger than one would expect, as two types of almonds are used: sweet and bitter. Bitter almonds have a pungent taste that is due to the same enzyme reaction by which prussic acid is produced. Although they are inedible in the raw state, like pe