The almond, a close relative of the peach, plum, and cherry, with its stony shell Almond Extracts and Imitations The commonest form of bitter-almond flavor is a bottled extract, which contains aromatic benzaldehyde without the cyanide that accompanies it in the almonds themselves “Pure” almond extract is derived from bitter almonds, while “natural” extract usually contains benzaldehyde produced from cassia bark (p 424), and “imitation” extract contains benzaldehyde synthesized from pure chemicals Cashews Like the Brazil nut, cashews come from the Amazon region, whose natives gave us the name But the tree was successfully transplanted to India and East Africa by the Portuguese, and today these regions are the world’s largest producers The cashew is second only to the almond in world trade It’s a relative of poison ivy, and that’s why we never see cashews for sale in the shell The shell contains an irritating oil that must be driven off by heating before the seed can be carefully extracted without contamination In the producing countries, the seed-containing fruit is often discarded in favor of the swollen stem tip or “false fruit” called the cashew apple, which is enjoyed either fresh, cooked, or fermented into an alcoholic drink Cashews are unusual among oily nuts in containing a significant amount of starch (around 12% of their weight), which makes them more effective than most nuts at thickening water-based dishes (soups, stews, Indian milk-based desserts) Chestnuts Chestnuts come from several ... India and East Africa by the Portuguese, and today these regions are the world’s largest producers The cashew is second only to the almond in world trade It’s a relative of poison ivy, and that’s... in the shell The shell contains an irritating oil that must be driven off by heating before the seed can be carefully extracted without contamination In the producing countries, the seed-containing... Cashews are unusual among oily nuts in containing a significant amount of starch (around 12% of their weight), which makes them more effective than most nuts at thickening water-based dishes (soups, stews, Indian milk-based desserts)