Cookies, mulled wine and a visit to the Christmas market – it’s Advent time. The sweet scent of roasted almonds hangs in the air. You can now bring the Christmas market classic into your kitchen at home and I’ll tell you how you can easily make roasted sweet almonds or delicious salted almonds yourself.

The harvest time for our almonds is already over. All of my tonsils have already been read. This year was a so-called almond year. The delicate white-pink flowers, which herald the approaching spring with their sweet scent in February, have finally become fruit. The trees were full of ripe, beautiful almonds and you should definitely get them dry before the first rain. The almond trees only have sparse foliage during the harvest season, which extends from September to November, depending on the weather. The light brown fruits hang right up into the crown, the outer green shell of which has now burst open.

Using an elastic bamboo stick, I knocked them all down as high as my arms could reach and then picked them up one by one from the ground. I love collecting fruit; I probably still have genes from the time when people lived by hunting and gathering. There is nothing more satisfying than coming home in the evening with full baskets. I then sit by the fireplace and crack the hard shell with a handy round stone. The delicious seeds taste best freshly cracked together with dried figs, dried pear wedges and raisins with a glass of red wine. I collect the cracked shells in a basket as fuel for my cozy fireplace.

Staple food in ancient times

Mandeln sind viel mehr als ein Snack oder eine weihnachtliche Backzutat. Mandeln waren in Ikaria immer ein wichtiges Grundnahrungsmittel und sie gehören unbedingt zu einer ausgewogenen Blue Zone Ernährung, reich an Vitaminen (B und E), Mineralstoffen (Magnesium, Calcium, Kupfer) und ungesättigten Fetten. Mandeln sind leicht aufzubewahren. Schon eine Handvoll täglich schützt, so aktuelle Studien, vor Diabetes, Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen, zu hohem Cholesterinspiegel und führt sogar, so hab ich´s gelesen, zu einer Verbesserung der Knochendichte.

Vor gar nocht so vielen Jahren war die Mandel noch immer ein wichtiges Grundnahrungsmittel der Menschen in subtropischen Regionen. Die Mandel enthält hochwertiges Eiweiss und trägt auf diese Weise entscheidend zur Deckung des Proteinbedarfs bei. Die Mandel sättigt ohne dick zu machen. Sie hilft den Menschen zusammen mit getrockneten Früchten wie Feigen, Birnenschnitzen und Rosinen mit bereits kleinen Mahlzeiten leistungsfähig und fit zu bleiben. Nur 60 Gramm täglich sind ausreichend um gesund zu bleiben.

Mandeln können unseren Stoffwechsel aufgrund ihrer höchst vorteilhaften Nähr- und Vitalstoffzusammensetzung derart beeinflussen, dass bei regelmässigem Verzehr die Insulinsensitivität verbessert werden und zu gesunden Cholesterinwerten führen können. Auch auf die Knochen und die Knochendichte hat die Mandel offenbar eine äusserst nützliche Wirkung. Mandeln sind fetthaltig. Doch ist Fett bekanntlich nicht gleich Fett und so ist die Fettsäuren Zusammensetzung der Mandel für unsere Gesundheit ähnlich positiv wie jene der Oliven. Mandeln sind basisch und wirken neuesten Erkenntnissen zufolge prebiotisch. Das bedeutet, sie liefern jenen Darmbakterien Nahrung, die unser Immunsystem und damit unsere Gesundheit unterstützen. Auf diese Weise harmonisieren Mandeln unsere Darmflora und sind so ein äusserst wertvolles Lebensmittel. (Gelesen bei www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de)

Almonds are much more than a snack or a Christmas baking ingredient. Almonds have always been an important staple food in Ikaria and they are an essential part of a balanced Blue Zone diet, rich in vitamins (B and E), minerals (magnesium, calcium, copper) and unsaturated fats. Almonds are easy to store. According to current studies, just a handful a day protects against diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol levels and, I have read, even leads to an improvement in bone density.

Just so many years ago, the almond was still an important staple food for people in subtropical regions. The almond contains high-quality protein and in this way makes a decisive contribution to covering protein requirements. The almond is filling without making you fat. Together with dried fruits such as figs, pear slices and raisins, it helps people to stay productive and fit with even small meals. Just 60 grams a day is enough to stay healthy.

Due to their highly beneficial nutrient and vital substance composition, almonds can influence our metabolism in such a way that, when consumed regularly, insulin sensitivity can be improved and can lead to healthy cholesterol levels. The almond also apparently has an extremely beneficial effect on the bones and bone density. Almonds are fatty. But as we all know, not all fat is the same and so the fatty acid composition of almonds is just as beneficial for our health as that of Olives. Almonds are alkaline and, according to the latest findings, have a prebiotic effect. This means that they provide food for the intestinal bacteria that support our immune system and thus our health. In this way, almonds harmonize our intestinal flora and are therefore an extremely valuable food. (Read at www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de)

Make your own almond snack – It’s that easy!

But the old almond man in Armenistis told me my absolute favorite recipe. He used to go out every day in the summer months with his basket filled with small bags full of salty almonds that he had folded out of old newspaper. He was unique! He wore a large straw hat and wore black squeaky rubber boots in the middle of summer. He loved schnapps, drank Ouzo, Metaxa, everything he could get his hands on from early in the morning until late at night and was always in the mood to sing. His favorite song: the French national anthem, no joke: “allez enfants dans la patriiiieeeee!!!”, audible from afar. Every day he marched from Raches down to Armenistis, singing loudly, to sell his fine wares to the sparse tourists, his boots gurgling with every step. On his woven almond basket was a handwritten note that read “Piccolo Supermarket.” When he sold out, he would say: “Piccolo Supermarket is broken!” and was very proud of his international language skills. He speaks eight languages! He stole the white, fragrant gardenias from his wife’s garden, which he put on his straw hat and charmingly placed in the hands of the ladies, potential buyers, along with three almonds for them to try.

One day I met him in the village bakery, busy roasting his almonds in the wood-burning oven. He spread the almond kernels on a large baking sheet, sprinkled them with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled three fingers of salt over them. I’ve been doing the same thing ever since and they taste amazing! “Passatempo” as he called it. Scarce stuff to pass the time.

My Recipes

You don’t need any specific baking knowledge to make roasted sweet almonds or roasted salted almonds yourself. The small caramelized or salty kernels can be easily made using everyday kitchen utensils.

• Homemade roasted salted almonds “Passatempo”
• Roasted herb almonds
• Homemade sugar almonds

Click here for my Almond Recipes

Mein Tipp: Selbst gebrannte oder geröstete Mandeln sind eine super Geschenk-Idee! Einfach kleine Portionen in schöne Tütchen füllen – fertig.

My Advice: Homemade roasted or roasted almonds are a great Gift Idea! Simply fill small portions into beautiful bags and you’re done.