Whoever sees the almond tree, it is sure to be filled with the warmest feelings. According to ancient mythology, Theseus's son Akamant and Princess Filida loved each other. The Achaeans against his will called Theseus to war with Troy. For ten years, a loving princess has been waiting for her lover. When she lost hope of his return and could not survive the separation, the forces left her. Such devotion shocked the goddess Athena. To preserve her memory, the goddess turned Filida into an almond tree. When Akamant returned from the war, he approached him, it blossomed.
Almond tree belongs to the family Rosaceae. Today, there are approximately forty of its species. Its twigs are reddish, a height of three to eight meters. Fruits almond tree for thirty to fifty years or more, because it often reaches a hundred years of age. The first fruits are formed four years after planting.
Almond essential oil is very much appreciated. It is formed due to the content in the fruit of a substance such as amygdalin. The name of the plant was received in the first century BC precisely because of the typical taste. Among industrial plantings, including in private gardening collections, three varieties are most common:
Bitter almonds contain large amounts of amygdalin. It easily decomposes in the gastrointestinal tract into a cyanide poisonous compound and benzene aldehyde, which can lead to severe poisoning. Therefore, without preliminary heat treatment (calcination, frying), it is impossible to eat it. The other two subspecies have the fruits of a sweet taste with a less pronounced aroma characteristic of almonds. They can be eaten without restriction and without prior preparation, but they are not suitable for obtaining valuable oil.
But the seeds of bitter almonds can contain it up to 62%. It has been widely used in medicine because it is a strong solvent, many drugs are prepared on its basis. In appearance, the oil is colorless, but has a wonderful marzipan aroma. It has analgesic properties, quickly relieves cramps, removes worms, but is a drug and contains a large proportion of the strongest cyanide poison.
The Caucasus and regions of northern Africa are considered places where the almond tree spread throughout Eurasia. The photo, which is attached to this material, allows you to evaluate all the
charm of this plant. Today, the Mediterranean and China are the richest areas of almond cultivation. A lot of it is grown in the United States.
Thanks to almonds, the small town of Agrigento in Sicily is known around the world. Here it blooms profusely in February. The marzipan aroma that pink flowers exude is filled with the entire Valley of the Temples. At this time, all the fans of a beautiful tree come to the town for the festival. This tradition continues for more than fifty years. The combination of ancient temples, the sea and delicate almond blossoms is unusually romantic. This attracts thousands of tourists here.