Top 7 Almonds
in the World

Finca La Rosala is a Spanish family-owned nut producer founded in 2013 in Calzada de Calatrava, in the province of Ciudad Real. The brand was established by Pedro Ciudad Imedio and his family after they planted pistachio trees on the inherited La Rosala estate. The estate’s name is associated with the reddish color of the local soil. Pedro learned the traditional roasting method from a local master roaster named Angelito, whose family had processed nuts since the 19th century. Production began in the family home before being transferred to a dedicated facility in Calzada de Calatrava. The nuts are washed by hand, seasoned, and arranged in a single layer on horizontal trays. They are slowly roasted at temperatures below 145 degrees Celsius and turned manually during the process. The pistachios come from the company’s own estate, the almonds are sourced in Spain, and the walnuts mainly originate from the Iberian Peninsula. The range includes pistachios, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and mixed nuts. In addition to natural and lightly salted products, the company develops varieties flavored with spices, citrus fruits, truffles, honey, chocolate, and olive oil.Expand

Alemany 1879 is a Spanish family-owned producer of honey, turrón, and other products made from honey and nuts, based in Os de Balaguer, in the Catalan province of Lleida. The company’s history began in 1879, when Mundeta Alemany made sweets from local honey and nuts. This activity provided an alternative source of income in the Montsec area, where the land was difficult to cultivate. Subsequent generations of the family gradually developed the production of sweets, honey, and traditional turrón. In 1929, the family began using mobile beehives, which increased the amount of honey they could collect. During the 1970s, Miquel Alemany expanded the family business and opened a dedicated turrón workshop. Today, the company is managed by the family’s fifth generation, including brothers Ferran and German Alemany. Alemany selects honey directly from beekeepers in different parts of the Iberian Peninsula, while processing and packaging take place in Os de Balaguer. Honey and almonds are two key ingredients in the brand’s identity, particularly in the production of traditional hard and soft turrón. The almonds are used whole, chopped, or ground, depending on the product and the desired texture. The range includes different types of honey, honey with added ingredients, almond and hazelnut turrón, sweets, chocolates, and other confectionery products.Expand

Gourmapes is a Spanish brand specializing in hand-roasted almonds and almond spreads. The brand is operated by Mediterranean Almond Life, a company based in Mogente, in the province of Valencia. Production focuses on Valencia and Marcona almond varieties associated with Spain’s Mediterranean regions. The almonds are seasoned and roasted by hand to develop an evenly crisp texture. Traditional varieties are prepared with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and smoked paprika. The range also includes products flavored with rosemary, truffle, a Japanese seven-spice blend, honey, chocolate, and turrón aroma. Its selection includes hand-roasted Marcona and Valencia almonds, as well as a more unusual variety made with rosemary honey and edible gold. In addition to whole almonds, the company produces spreads from peeled and unpeeled almonds, along with a cocoa and almond spread. The spreads undergo disc grinding and further refining to achieve a smooth texture. Gourmapes is a small specialized brand with a clearly focused product range. Its products are sold through the company’s online store and other retail platforms.Expand

Aperimax is a Spanish family-owned company specializing in the processing, packaging, and distribution of nuts. Its origins can be traced to a small packaging and local delivery business established by Juan Antonio Amor Pedraza in the early 1980s in the La Safor area of Valencia. Aperimax was formally incorporated in 1993, when the brand of the same name was also registered. Production is based in the municipality of Palmera, in the province of Valencia. The range includes almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, and mixed nuts. The products are available in natural, fried, roasted, caramelized, and chocolate-coated varieties. Rice flour is used for certain roasted products, while the amount of salt varies across different product lines. The company controls the production process from the receipt of raw materials to processing, packaging, and dispatch of the finished products. Aperimax operates through its namesake brand and the Juan Amor range, which is named after the company’s founder. Over time, it expanded its distribution beyond Spain, initially to France and other European markets, and later to the United States. Today, it operates as a larger-scale manufacturer equipped with modern production lines.Expand

Deliart is a Spanish food brand focused on presenting traditional flavors and artisanal production from different parts of Spain. The name Deliart combines the concepts of delicious and artisanal food. The company collaborates with small family producers who follow regional recipes and traditional processing methods. Its product range includes Spanish cheeses, Marcona almonds, dried fruit cakes, and quince paste. Marcona almonds represent an important part of the selection and are available in both natural and seasoned varieties. The assortment is based on products whose identity is shaped by the origin of their ingredients, simple composition, and regional traditions. Deliart functions both as a food brand and as a platform dedicated to Spanish gastronomy, recipes, and Mediterranean food culture.Expand

DePenyagolosa is a Spanish food brand representing products from the area surrounding the Penyagolosa mountain range in the inland part of Castellón Province. The brand was established by the Sant Bertomeu Agricultural Cooperative from Atzeneta del Maestrat. The cooperative has existed for approximately eight decades and brings together more than 1,300 members from this sparsely populated rural area. DePenyagolosa combines the offerings of local farmers and food producers and enables their joint presentation on the market. Its range includes almonds and other nuts, olive oil, honey, turrón, marzipan, cheeses, mandarins, cured meat products, and other regional foods. Marcona almonds originating from Castellón Province occupy a particularly important place in its selection. This variety is distinguished by its rounded shape, pale color, and naturally mild flavor. The brand focuses on preserving local agricultural production and creating additional market value for products from the Penyagolosa area. In this way, it combines the regional origin of its ingredients with a cooperative model of processing and distribution.Expand

Ibendra is a Spanish brand of processed nuts operated by Ibesano Gourmet, a company based in Beniel in the autonomous community of Murcia. The company reports more than 25 years of experience in the sector, although its official website does not specify when the Ibendra brand was launched. Its activities focus on processing, seasoning, and packaging almonds, cashews, pecans, and large roasted corn kernels. Marcona almonds occupy a particularly important place in its product range. They are fried and combined with olive oil. Available varieties include salt, rosemary, truffle, cheese, and spicy smoked seasoning. In addition to Marcona almonds, the company offers other almond varieties fried in olive oil and seasoned with different ingredients. Its range also includes roasted cashews, caramelized pecans, and products made from dried fruit and nuts.Expand

Native to Spain, this almond variety bears a smooth, white-colored fruit which has a distinctively rounder and plumper shape than other, more common almond varieties. The nut is distinguished by an exceptionally soft and moist texture, often compared to that of a macadamia nut, while the flavors are intensely sweet, delicate, buttery, and mild. Considered to be among the finest almonds in the world, Marcona almonds are believed to be an excellent source of beneficial oils, and they are highly sought-after gourmet items, available in blanched, fried, or roasted versions, seasoned with sea salt or ingredients such as truffles, smoked paprika, chili, or rosemary. These flavor-packed nuts are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of sweet and savory specialties. They can even be made into Marcona almond butter, which is often smeared on a flatbread or a baguette, then topped with cheese and dried fruit. The almonds are commonly savored as tapas (served with slices of Iberico ham, Manchego cheese, and olives) or served as a delicious accompaniment to a glass of well-chilled, bone-dry sherry.Expand

Almonds are the world's most widely grown and consumed tree nut, and Italy is one of the major producers. Particularly rich in aroma and flavor are those cultivated in sunny Sicily, where almonds are the most widely grown fruit after olives. There are many varieties, all related to prunus amygdalus, and the most praised varieties are Pizzuta, Fascionello Romana, Cavaliera and Bonifacio nº 1. They can be either sweet or bitter - the sweet ones are widely used in confectionery, while small quantities of the bitter ones give a typical flavor to certain types of biscuits and liquors. Sicilian almonds are harvested in July and the majority of orchards are located in the province of Siracusa, especially around the cities of Noto and Avola. In Sicily, almonds symbolize good fortune, so it is no surprise that sugar-coated almonds called confetti are a traditional gift at weddings. They are also the leading stars of many local sweets such as biancomangiare, a Sicilian almond pudding, bacioni di Taormina, torrone, amaretti, pasta di mandorle, cassata siciliana or the famous frutta di Martorana, colorful marzipan-based sweets shaped into fruits and vegetables.Expand

Almendra de Mallorca are almonds produced on the Island of Mallorca in Spain. They can be sold raw or roasted, with or without skin. These nuts are of exceptional quality and are rigorously tested; they must not be smaller than 12mm or have any visible defects. They are crunchy in texture and slightly sweet in taste and should not be bitter unless they are roasted. All stages of production, including packaging, must take place on the island of Mallorca.Expand

Koufeta Amygdalou Geroskipou are roasted sugared almonds made in the municipality of Geroskipou according to the traditional family recipe created by Sophocles Athanasios who started making them in 1895. Locally-grown almonds are coated in sugar syrup and have a characteristic rough surface. The authentic methods of production and knowledge of the Geroskipou producers are crucial for making this delicious treat. The whole coating process must be monitored in order to intervene immediately if the adjustment of the quantity of the syrup or the temperature is required. Only two raw materials are used, sugar and almonds. The final product is never waxed to protect the almonds resulting in Koufeta Amygdalou Geroskipou being softer and sweeter than any other similar product. Koufeta Amygdalou Geroskipou are among the most famous Cypriot desserts which are usually eaten during festivals. There is also a tradition on Cyprus to give these almonds to wedding guests as wedding favours in the little wrapped boxes containing five sugared almonds symbolising health, wealth, happiness, long life and fertility.Expand

Although almonds originated in Asia, nowadays some of the best ones are grown around Avola, a city and comune in the sunny province of Syracuse. They can be either sweet or bitter - the sweet ones are widely used in confectionery, while small quantities of bitter almonds give a unique flavor to certain types of biscuits and liquors. Only three sorts are grown under the prestigious name of mandorle di Avola: Pizzuta, Fascionello, and Romana, also known as Corrente d'Avola. Pizzuta has a hard shell enclosing a symmetrical, reddish-brown seed and it is mostly used for high-quality confectionery products such as sugared almonds and pasta reale, similar to Fascionello, a bit less elegant, but equally delicious sort, while Romana often hides irregularly-shaped twin-seeds inside the shell, and it is usually used for pastries. Harvest time is between July and August, but all three sorts have a thick shell that preserves their flavor and quality, so they can be enjoyed all year-round.Expand

These Portuguese almonds come from the Casa Nava, Parada, Pesianeia, and Duro Italiano varieties. Every year, between February and March, dazzling white and pink almond blossoms cover the rugged slopes of the Upper Douro, thus announcing the end of winter and heralding the arrival of spring. This region still produces almonds traditionally, in harmony with the people and the land. Although almonds are best grown in a hot and arid climate, the varieties grown in Douro have adapted to the colder local weather conditions. Douro almonds possess an unrivaled quality and flavor due to their exceptionally high fat and protein content. They are sold both shelled and unshelled and in a variety of forms, from whole to slivered to ground. Douro almonds are an irreplaceable ingredient in many traditional Portuguese sweet and savory recipes.Expand

The Almond of Toritto is a traditional agricultural food product from the region of Apulia, named after the homonymous city located on the Murgia hills. Their trees might not be as productive as the Californian varieties, but they are extremely resilient, capable of growing without fertilizers or special treatments, while the seeds have a very high oil content and an intense, well-balanced flavor. The sorts are named after different producers and citizens of Toritto - the most common ones are Filippo Cea, Antonio De Vito, and Genco. Toritto almonds can be enjoyed on their own, either fresh or lightly toasted, but they are also an inevitable ingredient of local sweets, such as almond milk served with rice grains, pasta reale, torrone, or a traditional cake called rosata di mandorle.Expand