Marcona Almonds: The Truth About Their Origin Story

Wonderful canvases fields in the sprawling fields of Spain

Once a year, after a cold winter, the sprawling fields of Spain come alive again as if brushed with delicate little pink and white blossoms. The country erupts with color and nearly everyone awakens to go visit these wonderful canvases. Always only a short drive to the nearest masterpiece; my family would pile into our car to go and spend the day among the Spanish Almond Trees (Los Almendros); where the Spanish Marcona Almonds are born.

I was always pleasantly overwhelmed with the endless rows of these soft little blooms. Seemingly overnight transformed every roadway and open field into a magical and breathtaking cascade of color. I would breathe in the sweet scent of these gorgeous blossoms. As I strolled through these picturesque farms with my family.

A Friendly Welcoming of Spring

We would celebrate these new blossoms for what they represented; the near ending of winter and a friendly welcoming of spring. But the new blossoms mostly foreshadowed all the wonderfully fragrant and delicious dishes these almond blooms would later star in; Turron, a famous holiday almond dessert; “Ajo Blanco”, a warm Spanish soup, and my favorite, simply eaten, fried and sprinkled with salt. These almonds are a part of so many healthy recipes in a traditional Mediterranean diet. 

Like for example our fig cake with almonds. This sweet and sticky nut-packed treat isn’t like the cake you might know or bake at home. In fact, it doesn’t have flour, sugar, eggs or any of those common ingredients that you usually see in cakes and breads. It is dense and complex in fruit and nut flavors. 

Where Do Marcona Almonds come from?

If you want to taste the salty Mediterranean in one crunchy bite. A heart healthy snack of Deliart® Marcona Almonds will transport you to a quaint little tapas bar in Southern Spain. Marcona Almond trees were brought from the Mediterranean up into Northern Africa and Southern Europe many centuries ago. This species of Almond became a regular part of a Mediterranean Diet. This is because of its high concentration of nutrients (they are a delicious source of healthy fats and vegetable protein). The dry soil of Spain and Mediterranean sun give this almond it’s sweet and smooth flavor.

The Arabic culture brought to Spain in the 1^st century blended to create a beautiful mix of traditions and cultures. In the same way, the combination of the natural sweetness of Marcona Almonds. Cooked in traditional Spanish Olive Oil and then sprinkled with salt creates an irresistible and balanced bite.  This relationship between the sweet and the salty, is one of the unique reasons this healthy snack continues to satiate the Mediterranean region.

Marcona almonds, a celebration of the Mediterranean taste

Almond growing has been a Spanish tradition for hundreds of years. This variety of Marcona Almonds from the Mediterranean has a sweet, bold and nutty flavor. That celebrates when fried in traditional Spanish olive oil and lightly salted. For me, eating these almonds brings back wonderful memories of a visual and sensory feast of almond tree blossoms, crisp and sweet winter air, and time spent taking it all in with my family.

If you want to know more about our Deliart products, you can see them through these links:

• Deliart Idiazabal Cheese – A Genuine Cheese
• You Can’t Go Wrong with the Deliart Goat Cheese Roll
• Cabrales Cheese – Without Effort There is no Reward
• Mahon Cheese – Amazing Flavor from the Balearic Islands