Almonds

Slivered almonds add a much-needed crunch to stir-fries and curries. Almond milk is used as a substitute for dairy products. Almond butter is used as a thickener in Indian cooking, although nowadays it has largely been replaced by cashews, which are less expensive. Bitter almonds, which are much more intensely flavored than regular almonds, are used in the proportion of one bitter almond to one hundred sweet almonds. This mixture is often used as a flavoring for marzipan or in other sweets where an intense almond flavor is desirable. Bitter almonds cannot be sold in the United States because of their high natural cyanide content. Regular almonds can be toasted in the oven to enhance their flavor and help preserve them. Almond extract can be used (very sparingly) to emulate the flavor of bitter almonds.