Almond - amond (English spelling)

Japanese: アーモンド - あーもんど（英語表記）almond

A deciduous tall tree of the Rosaceae family (APG classification: Rosaceae). Also known as Amendo, Hento, and Hatankyo. The number of chromosomes is 2 n = 16. The leaves are oblong, about 10 cm long, sawtoothed, and smooth and glossy. The flowers are 2-3 cm in diameter, have five petals, one pistil, and more than 30 stamens, and bloom before the leaves appear. The fruit resembles a peach, but is flat and several centimeters tall. The flesh is low in moisture and hard, but when ripe it splits open to expose the kernel. The kernels are flat and range from hard kernels that are hard and difficult to crack to soft kernels that are paper-thin and easy to crack, and usually contain one kernel inside the kernel. The kernel is used as an almond nut, and the soft kernels are cultivated for their fruit.

Native to Western Asia, wild species are widely distributed in Southwestern and Central Asia, Turkey, Syria, the Caucasus, Iran, the Tian Shan Mountains, the Hindu Kush Mountains, and Afghanistan, and there is a large variation. It is a plant similar to a peach, and has a long history of cultivation, dating back more than 4000 years. It is cultivated in slightly warmer regions than peaches, and in dry areas during the fruit development period, especially during the harvest period, and is widely cultivated in California, Spain, Italy, France, French Morocco, and Portugal in the United States. There are many varieties, and Nonpareil, Butte, and Monterey are well known. Since all of them are self-sterile, they are divided into six groups based on cross-fertility, and are planted together with other varieties for pollination. Varieties that are resistant to frost during flowering and to low or high temperatures during winter are desirable. It was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period, but is not generally cultivated due to its incompatibility with the climate.

[Muneo Iizuka December 13, 2019]

use

There are two types of almonds: bitter-tasting bitter almonds (kuhentou) and sweet-tasting sweet almonds. The former are used medicinally, and the oil extracted from them is used as a cough suppressant, while the latter, sweet almond oil, is good for health. Almond nuts are the kernels of sweet almonds, and per 100 grams they contain 54 grams of fat, 19 grams of protein, many other minerals, small amounts of vitamins, and 598 calories. The thin brown skin that surrounds the kernel can be easily removed by pouring boiling water over it or steaming it. In addition to eating them raw, they can also be fried or fried with salt and seasonings. They are widely used in chocolate confectionery, sliced into pastry or ice cream, and made into a paste to be used as an ingredient in confectioneries.

[Muneo Iizuka December 13, 2019]

Use of scent

Bitter kernels have a stronger aroma than sweet kernels, so they are used to make almond essence. Bitter kernels contain hydrocyanic acid, so they are chemically treated before use. Their aroma is similar to that of apricot kernels, so they are used to flavor the Chinese dish apricot tofu (xinren tofu) and in liqueurs.

[Hiroshi Saito December 13, 2019]

almond
©Shogakukan ">

almond

Almond Blossom
In March, before the leaves appear, it produces five-petaled flowers similar to those of a peach. Also known as Amendo, Hento (almond), and Hatankyo (baby almond). ©Shogakukan Photo by Masatoshi Hirose ">

Almond Blossom

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

バラ科（APG分類：バラ科）の落葉高木。別名アメンドウ、ヘントウ（扁桃）、ハタンキョウ（巴旦杏）。染色体数は2n＝16である。葉は長楕円(ちょうだえん)形で長さ約10センチメートル、鋸歯(きょし)があり、表面は平滑で光沢がある。花は径2～3センチメートル、花弁は基本的には5枚、雌しべ1本、雄しべ30本余り、葉の出る前に開花する。果実はモモに似るが扁平(へんぺい)で高さ数センチメートル。果肉は水分が少なく、堅いが、熟すと裂けて核を露出する。核は扁平で、堅くて割れにくい硬核種から、紙のように薄く、割れやすい軟核種まであり、核内には普通1個の仁(じん)がある。この仁がアーモンドナッツとして利用され、軟核種が果実用として栽培される。

　西アジア原産で、南西・中央アジア、トルコ、シリア、カフカス、イラン、天山山脈、ヒンドゥー・クシ山脈、アフガニスタンまで広く野生種が分布し、変異は大きい。モモに似た植物で、栽培の歴史は古く、4000年以前から栽培されていた。栽培はモモよりやや暖かく、果実の発育期、とくに収穫期に乾燥する地方がよく、アメリカのカリフォルニア、スペイン、イタリア、フランス、フランス領モロッコ、ポルトガルなどで多く栽培されている。多数の品種があり、ノンパレル、ビュート、モントレーなどが知られる。いずれも自家不結実性なので、交配親和性から6群に分けられ、授粉用に他品種との混植が行われる。開花期の霜抵抗性、冬期の低温抵抗性あるいは高温抵抗性品種が望まれる。日本には明治初年に導入されたが、気候にあわず、一般には栽培化されていない。

［飯塚宗夫　2019年12月13日］

利用

仁に苦味をもつ苦仁種（苦扁桃(くへんとう)）と、甘味をもつ甘仁種とがある。前者は薬用としてその抽出油の苦扁桃油は咳(せき)どめに使用され、後者の甘仁油は保健によい。アーモンドナッツは甘仁種の仁で、100グラム中に脂肪54グラム、タンパク質19グラム、そのほか多量のミネラル類、少量のビタミン類を含み、598カロリーをもつ。仁を包む褐色の薄皮は、熱湯をかけるか、蒸気処理で簡単に除去できる。生食のほか、炒(い)ったり、塩や調味料を加えて油炒(いた)めにする。チョコレート菓子や、スライスして練り菓子やアイスクリームに、ペースト状にして菓子類の材料にしたり、広く利用される。

［飯塚宗夫　2019年12月13日］