Come homework or cold weather, grandmothers always recommend almonds.
When mothers and grandmothers see children and grandchildren of any age using their heads — homework, exams or office work — they will say “Beta, badaam khaya karo.” Almonds, after all, are supposed to be good for the brain and for memory, according to ayurveda and your grandmother.
Which just shows how long they have been on our plates. The first cultivated almond trees date from 5,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean, and an almond fruit was even discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt. The Bible, from Genesis onwards, is replete with almond references. The Romans adored them in their desserts, especially when combined with dates, cinnamon and honey.
Before there were sweet domesticated almonds, though — the kind we now eat — there were bitter ones. The wild form of the fruit featured a particular chemical compound that became instantly toxic if the fruit was crushed or chewed, because it turned into hydrogen cyanide. One way of avoiding this problem was to roast the almonds before eating them. We don’t need to do that any more, although roasting does make sweet almonds even tastier.
Almonds are good for a lot more than the brain. They are low in carbs and gluten-free, which makes them good for diabetes patients and people with wheat allergies or celiac disease. They have lots of fibre and protein, and carry vitamin E and monounsaturated fats. They raise good cholesterol and lower bad. They ease inflammation and boost immunity. According to ayurveda, again, almonds have a “heating” effect, which makes them suitable for eating in cold weather, and relatively innocuous in sweets.
A recent study, published in 2008, says almonds have a significant antioxidant effect — which delays ageing, helps prevent cancer and makes us healthier overall. Another 2008 study says they are good for digestion because the undigestible almond bits that reach the colon are prime fodder for the “good” bacteria which live there, help us with our digestion and protect us against “bad” bacteria.
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Allegedly, eating almonds is good for the complexion. But even massaged into the skin, almonds make a difference: almond oil is supposed to have aphrodisiacal properties.
It must be that which inspired us humans to employ the almond as a sign of beauty: there’s no shortage of almond-eyed and almond-skinned beauties (male or female) in our books and stories — not to mention our advertising.
