Najmieh Batmanglij

Almond, Sweet

Badam

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Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

  • About
Iran is the center from which almonds spread, on the one hand to Europe and on the other to Tibet and China. Almonds have long been favored by Persian cooks: Fresh baby green almonds in their soft shells, sprinkled with salt, make popular snacks; later in the season, fresh mature almonds are popular; the ripe, dried nuts also provide a delicate flavoring for pastries and act as a thickener for khoreshes.

For freshness, buy shelled, unblanched nuts. To blanch, drop the almonds into boiling water, boil for 1 minute, drain, drop into ice water, and slip off the loosened skins. Then spread the nuts on a baking sheet and dry them for 5 minutes in a 350°F (180°C) oven. Blanched almonds may be slivered or ground to powder in a food processor. Store whole or ground blanched almonds in airtight containers in the freezer. To roast, see Nuts, Roasting; to toast, see Nuts, Toasting.