Almond

The almond is a small deciduous tree, growing to between 4 and 10 meters in height, with a trunk of up to 30 centimetres in diameter. The fruit is a drupe 3.56 cm long, with a downy outer coat. The outer covering or exocarp, fleshy in other members of Prunus such as the plum and cherry, is instead a leathery grey-green coating called the hull, which contains inside a hard shell, and the edible seed, commonly called a nut in culinary terms. Generally, one seed is present, but occasionally there are two. In botanical terms, an almond is not a true nut. The reticulated hard woody shell (like the outside of a peach pit) surrounding the edible seed is called the endocarp. The fruit is mature in the autumn, 7 8 months after flowering 

They are one of the most commonly and widely used dry fruit around the world. Apart from edible uses, they have various other very important uses as well. Almonds in India are considered an important of desserts and sweets. Almonds are eaten in various forms throughout the country. Some prefer it grounded and mixed with hot milk, others want it chopped garnished on sweets like ice cream,some have it soaked in water for the whole night along with milk in the morning. Almonds are also used for oils and other beauty products.. A number of soaps and shampoos are also using almond products. Almond is also good for memory so people have it soaked in water. Almond is a costly dry fruit in India. The sweet almond itself contains practically no carbohydrates and may therefore be made into flour for cakes and cookies (biscuits) for low-carbohydrate diets or for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or any other form of glycosuria It Fresh Sweet Almonds possess demulcent and nutrient properties, Sweet Almonds are of great use in the stone, gravel, strangury and other disorders of the kidneys, bladder and biliary ducts