Chocolate Manufacturers Use Around 40 Percent Of World’s Total Almonds

National Chocolate with Almonds Day is observed annually on July 8th. What a great way to wrap up chocolate and almonds in one package. Celebrate it by giving some to a friend or neighbor.

• The almond was spoken highly of in the Bible, and finds its origins in the Middle East. There it has been used as a source of food, medicine, and decoration for time out of mind.
• They are easily harvested from within the almond fruit, and are now grown extensively in California, and is the subject of the largest managed cultivation in the entire world of agriculture. That’s how important this humble tree nut is.
• Chocolate is easily one of the most popular substances to every enter the world. It has been seen as a solution for sorrow and a great compliment for joy, and literally contains the stuff of love, at least chemically.
• Chocolate is used as a way to demonstrate your love for another and has been used in just about every culinary combination you could imagine
• The protein in almonds is more like the proteins in human breast milk of all the seeds and nuts, which is why it is the choice of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine as the base for its baby formula.
• Almonds are the most nutrient-dense tree nut. One ounce of almonds (20-25 almonds) contains 160 calories and only 1 gram of saturated fat and no cholesterol.  Almonds are also an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, and a good source of protein and potassium.
• The Jordan almond is a large plump variety of almond from Malaga, Spain, considered to be the finest cultivated almond. The are frequently sold with a hard colored sugar coating, or salted.
• It takes 1000 pounds of almonds to make 1 pint of almond oil.
• The world’s largest almond factory is in Sacramento, California. It processes 2 million pounds of almonds a day.
•  Almonds quench your thirst for having something crunchy as being the crunchiest of all the dry-fruits
• One of the best known features of Almonds is that they are the best cholesterol regulators.
• Almond flour is gluten free and is healthy and delicious for baking purposes
• Chocolate manufacturers use around 40 percent of world’s total almonds in making delicious and mouth-watery chocolates.
• In the mid-1700s, the Franciscan Padres planted almond trees to grace their missions along El Camino Real (The Royal Road) that stretches along the California coast from San Diego to Sonoma.
• Cinnamon-glazed almonds were President Clinton’s snack of choice at both the 1993 and the 1997 inaugurations.
• Native to the Mediterranean countries, the almond was introduced to America from Spain in 1769.
• The world’s largest almond factory is located in Sacramento, California and processes over 2 million pounds of almonds per day.  California produces over 80% of the world’s supply of almonds and that chocolate manufacturers currently use about 40% of the world’s almonds and about 20% of the world’s peanuts.
• Raw Almonds contain prussic acids, the eating of more than a handful can be lethal. this is why all almonds are dried, roasted and/or pasteurized.
• The bitter taste in Almonds is derived from the 4-9 mg of hydrogen cyanide in each.
• The health benefits of almonds are extensive, and they are frequently used as a healthy solution for relief from constipation, respiratory disorders, coughs, heart disorders, anemia, impotency, and diabetes. They also help in maintenance of healthy hair, skin care and dental care.
• Almond trees flower early in the spring making them a symbol of new life.
• In the Hebrew Bible, the almond was a symbol of watchfulness and promise due to its early flowering.
• Christian symbolism often uses almond branches as a symbol of the Virgin Birth of Jesus; paintings and icons often include almond-shaped haloes encircling the Christ Child and as a symbol of Mary.
• In the Bible the almond is mentioned ten times.
• The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm.
• The Chinese consider the almond a symbol of enduring sadness and female beauty.
• In Sweden, cinnamon-flavored rice pudding with an almond hidden inside is a Christmas custom. Find it, and good fortune is yours for a year.
• According to superstition: If you eat almonds before taking a drink, you will reduce your chances of getting drunk and avoid having a hangover.
• The scientic name for the tree that chocolate comes from, Theobroma cacao, means “food of the gods.”
• The smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves, which triggers relaxation.
• It takes approximately 400 cacao beans to make one pound (450 gr.) of chocolate.
• Candy bars generally have less than 10 milligrams of caffeine, but the darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine content.
• According to the International Cocoa Organization, Europeans account for almost half the world’s chocolate consumption.
• The English chocolate company Cadbury made the first chocolate bar in the world in 1842.
• Eating dark chocolate every day reduces the risk of heart disease by one-third.
• Dark chocolate may improve blood ow and lower blood pressure.
• Dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants.
• Dark chocolate may also improve the function of the brain.

Sources:

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