In Lebanon, spring almonds come in green, from the tree

In many parts of the world, almonds are brown nuts. They’re often roasted with salt or bathed in chocolate and can be delicious. But they’re only half the story. In Lebanon, other parts of the Mediterranean and California too, almonds come in green and are eaten whole, straight from the tree. The fruit bears little resemblance to what most think of as an almond. A green almond is covered by a soft, green fuzz – like a peach, which it is related to – and breaks open with a bite to a reveal its tender white seed, the almond. The joy of munching on crisp green almonds can be savored for only a couple months each spring. The season starts in mid-March, according to Huda Hamzeh who – together with her husband Hisham – runs a farm near the Chouf village of Aabey. The Hamzeh farm, which stretches from the top of a hill thousands of feet down into the valley, has roughly 30 almond trees which blossom in early spring. “If there are lots of white blossoms, we know it will be a good year,” says Huda. By April the green almonds are plump. Come June, the fruit begins to dry and harden and can no longer be eaten whole, though the rough green shell can be sliced open for the soft white almond. “They’re perfect now. In June, we dry them. They have to be dried slowly in the shade. If not done the right way, they rot,” she says. The hillside farm has wide terraces, where apricot, apple, pear and fig trees are also growing, sometimes in rows, sometimes alone. A spring irrigating the trees snakes down the slope. The Hamzeh family takes orders directly from customers (a recent one included requests for mint, parsley, eggplant and pomegranates), sells to restaurants in Downtown Beirut and to greengrocers in Sidon, Sin al-Fil and Cite Sportive. They also set up shop at Souk al-Tayeb Saturday mornings. For consumers looking for choice green almonds, Huda recommends looking at their color, which should be light green without blemishes, and the level of ripeness. “They shouldn’t be too hard,” she says. “If you get a lot and take some time to eat them, keep them in the fridge,” she says, adding that it’s a good idea not to keep them in plastic as the condensation can make them spoil. The almonds should keep for a few weeks. While many green almond fans prefer them plain and raw, the fruit is often pickled (roughly two cups water to one-half cup vinegar plus salt) or dipped in salt water with an aperitif. They are also sometimes cooked in Mediterranean lamb or chicken dishes (see recipe). Green almond season is beautiful on the farm, with yellow and red wild flowers blooming, butterflies and birds. Though the almonds must be harvested by hand, the trees, which are native to Lebanon, thrive on their own. “They don’t need anything, no chemicals, no fertilizer,” Huda says. “They just grow.” Summer is hot on the farm, and the day starts at four in the morning to avoid the afternoon sun. But “winter is the most difficult,” says Hisham. “We are planting trees under the rain.” Still the work, which supports the family of seven, is worth it. “I like how we invest so much time, then the season comes and you see the reward of the work,” Hisham says, plucking a handful of green almonds from a tree.