The Supernut

(A version of this article appeared in Food Lover's Magazine Dec-Jan '14 issue)

 “When an almond tree became covered with blossoms in the heart of winter, all the trees around it began to jeer. 'What vanity,' they screamed, 'what insolence! Just think, it believes it can bring spring in this way!' The flowers of the almond tree blushed for shame. 'Forgive me, my sisters,' said the tree. 'I swear I did not want to blossom, but suddenly I felt a warm springtime breeze in my heart.”

― Nikos Kazantzakis, Saint Francis

 It is perhaps the abundant heart of this tiny kernel that has transformed the almond into a talisman down the ages. The ancient Romans would shower their newlywed couples with almonds, believing it was a symbol of fertility and there are numerous references to the almond in the Bible as a symbol of plenty. Interestingly enough, these symbolic attributes were ascribed to a nut that was equally a thing of nourishment as well as the raw material for a deadly poison, making it a study in opposites. The bitter wild almond upon processing creates the toxic cyanide. The poison retains a unique smell that has tickled the acute olfactory senses of wily old ladies as well as hardboiled sleuths alike. Their knowledge of this signature scent of bitter almonds have allowed many a Miss Marple to solve a cases and save lives with a series of well-timed sniffs.

At some stage of human history, the sweet non-toxic variety of almond was discovered giving rise to the ubiquitous nut that quickly became a part of our daily food intake. From the flaked almonds in the morning muesli to the chopped nuts in the brownies and cakes, to the luscious paste of almonds in Indian gravies, this versatile genius with its creamy and nutty flavour combination became a perfect addition to drinks, savoury dishes, desserts and even liqueurs. From almond chocolates to rich Mughlai pasandas, from the delicate French macarons in rainbow hues to the sticky ghee-laden badam halwa, the possibilities were as calorific and artery clogging as they were endless and divine. And then there was marzipan. Wedding cakes, Princess cakes, Christmas Cakes and a child's delightful birthday cake would be robbed of elegance, imagination or style without its almond candy icing.

One could dedicate a whole book to marzipan and how it breathed a new life into the art of confectionary. In the days before stodgy fondant, marzipan rolled over desserts made them happier and prettier. This pliable mix of sugar and almond meal could be nudged into a whole variety of shapes and textures that could top off plain looking cakes and toffees and make them the stuff of a child’s sweetest fantasy. Marzipan characters have been the highlight of many a birthday cake and often more exciting than the more flavourful interior of the confection. My memories of a zoo cake for my eighth birthday complete with its menagerie of giraffes and zebras and my exquisite 1st wedding anniversary cake with its blue roses, will be my foremost memories of marzipan love.

The mystique of almonds goes beyond its identity as the star of the pantry. The almond-shaped eye is an aesthetic representation of geometric perfection. It is the evocative beauty of the pink and white almond blossom immortalized by Van Gogh’s exquisite painting that exploded in the tapestry of my mind in all its colour, light, shade and magnificent glory. Amsterdam will forever be denoted in my mental map of the world as a little blue and white shaped patch of almond blossoms.

Almonds will always be the magic stuff that emerged from the Kabuliwalla’s bag of goodies. It will be the nut whose name will be pronounced in a strange rich accent. It will be the nut that forever connects hime with his home. It will be the soul food that lessens the loneliness of this world-weary traveller by giving  him an unlikely companion -- a little girl called Mini who reminds him of all that he has left behind.

A thing of beauty and terror all at once, the almond is life and death -- a dream ingredient in every dessert chef's arsenal, the chief ingredient in the poison capsules worn by spies, terrorists and dangerous cult groups. It is the nourishing must-have in a new mum's larder and a vegan's substitute for nearly everything, an almond deserves every bit of its superhero status.