Whoever saw the almond tree, it always marks the warmest feelings.According to ancient mythology, son of Theseus and Princess filidh Akamant loved each other.Achaeans against his will called Theseus to war with Troy.Ten years of a loving princess waiting for her lover.When she lost hope for his return and could not survive the separation, her strength left.Such devotion has shocked the goddess Athena.To keep the memory of her, the goddess turned filidh in almond tree.When returning from the war Akamant approached it, it blossomed.
almond tree belongs to the family Rosaceae.Today, there are about forty of his species.Sprigs of its reddish, height from three to eight meters.Almond tree bears fruit for thirty to fifty years or more, because it can often reach a hundred years of age.The first fruits are formed four years after planting.
essential oil of almond is very much appreciated.It is formed by the content in the fruits of such substances as amygdalin.The name of the plant received as early as the first century BC, it was thanks to the typical taste.Among the industrial landings, including private horticultural collections, the most common three varieties:
- bitter;
- sweet;
- fragile.
bitter almonds contains large amounts of amygdalin.It readily dissolves in the gastrointestinal tract at a toxic cyanide compound and the aldehyde benzene, which may lead to severe poisoning.Therefore, without pre-heat treatment (calcination, roasting) food you can not eat it.Two other subspecies fruits have a sweet taste with less pronounced flavor peculiar almonds.They can be eaten without restriction and without pretreatment, but for obtaining valuable oils are not suitable.
But the seeds of bitter almonds can keep it to 62%.It is widely used in medicine because it is a strong solvent, based on it prepared many drugs.By type oil is colorless, but differs wonderful marzipan aroma.Has analgesic properties of nature, quickly relieves spasms, removes worms, but is a drug and contains a large proportion of the strongest poison cyanide.
the Caucasus and parts of North Africa is the place from which spread throughout Eurasia almond tree.Photography, which is applied to the material, allows to appreciate the beauty of this plant.Today, the Mediterranean and China are the richest areas of cultivation of almonds.A lot of it is grown in the United States.
Thanks almonds known worldwide small town of Agrigento, Sicily.Here it is abundantly blooming in February.Marzipan aroma that exudes a pink flowers, filled the entire Valley of the Temples.At this time, the town attracts all the fans of the beautiful tree for the festival.This tradition has continued for more than fifty years.The combination of ancient temples, sea and delicate almond flowers unusually romantic.It attracts thousands of tourists.
