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Algarve and almonds: a long love story

Written on : 25 September 2019
By : Melchior Burin des Roziers
Algarve and almonds: a long love story

Algarve is the land of almonds. The almond trees when blooming offer a magnificent view to admire in the south of Portugal. Let's discover the background of the Algarve’s almond production together. 

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The legend of the almond trees in bloom

The legend of the almond trees in bloom

For centuries, almond trees have been grown in the Algarve. A legend about the almond harvest appeared in the country and remains well known by all: the Lenda das Amendoeiras tells the story of the influences of the long Moorish occupation on the Algarve. 

An Arab king was in love with a northern princess. Young and beautiful, she had blue eyes and golden hair. They got married and the celebration lasted for days. But as the days passed, the princess seemed unhappy. She was nostalgic for the snow-covered lands of her childhood. 

The king, a caring husband, was inventive to try and satisfy his wife. He ordered almond trees to be planted throughout the kingdom. In the spring, he took his wife up to the top of the castle walls... There she could relish in the beauty of the all-white countryside, covered with almond blossoms, similar to the snowfields she missed so much. This natural visual concert was repeated every spring and Princess Gilda was so happy that her sadness seemed to disappear.

It is said that this is where almond cultivation comes from, which has led to the long tradition of making almond cakes, fig stars with traditional almonds and other culinary wonders. 

Almonds and almond trees

Almonds and almond trees

Prunus amygdalus var. dulcis is one of the first trees to have been domesticated in the Mediterranean basin. It is a close cousin of the apricot, peach, plum and other stone fruits, as well as a distant cousin of apple and pear trees, in the large rosaceous family. This is a tree that cannot live alone because it almost always has to exchange genes with a friend in the form of pollen. Its favourite area: the central-eastern Algarve, where it thrives without dehydration or disease.

There are different varieties of almonds in the Algarve, but Durazias and Côcos are the most widespread. Then, depending on the region, you will find Bonita which can grow alone, Convento in Portimão, Lourencinha and Grada in Tavira, José Dias in Faro or Ludo in Albufeira. They all have specific blooming seasons, as well as the level of quality and yield regularity that changes according to the variety. 

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Almonds in the kitchen

Almonds in the kitchen

Marzipan, a regional almond paste, is used in many desserts that can be kept for a long time. Coloured and shaped into small figurines, marzipan comes to life in the shape of small fish, birds and fruits. 

There are also Nogado Algarvios, a kind of nougat cake. As well as other sweets where figs are used with almonds: Morgado de Amêndoa or Morgadinhos, Doce de Amêndoa, Bolas de Ovos, Bolo Dom Rodrigo, Figos Cheiros... All of these desserts are the essence of the sweet smell of the Algarve, but watch out for the calories! 

Otherwise, moving onto salty dishes... Chicken with almonds remains a very popular recipe in the Algarve, ever since the Moorish period. 

Almonds can be found in drinks too! Amarguinha remains an Algarve drink traditionally produced from the bitter almond liqueur. It matures in oak and amazon barrels. You can enjoy it as an aperitif, digestive or cocktail, preferably frozen or with ice cubes and lemon. 

We wish you a very pleasant stay in the Algarve!

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