historical connections

When I started eggbeater I wasn't sure there were people who would be interested in the minutiae of food the way I am. I have always been curious. I love the shape of the question mark. I ate my own mud-pies. And I introduced my mouth to many a weed now sold by the ounce at farmer's markets.

It is probably a good thing I was not born in a forest. I would not be here to tell the tale as I am sure I would have plucked some deadly mushroom along the way.

I am the weird person who likes eating the watermelon rind and seeds. Not pickled, no, just raw thank you. I used to scrape that jelly like substance off of large grapefruit seeds. (Raw, unadulturated pectin.) I like the pith of oranges and enjoy eating lemons out of hand. I will try any fruit I have never seen before at least once.

This personal pact led me to a highly illegal Mangosteen once in New York City's Chinatown, but that's another post.

Because I eat fruit right down to it's core I know that the part of the apple near the core tastes different from that of the flesh near the rind. And I know what the kernel of every piece of every stone fruit tastes like.

Bitter. Strong. Crunchy, but with give, like a boiled nut. Mmmm poisonous. (Prussic Acid aka Cyanide.)

But why does the inside of a peach pit look like an almond? How come almond extract is made with apricot kernels? Who are these fruits to each other? What is their lineage?

I took a little photographic journey recently to visually explain my leetle almond-stone fruit obsession.

{Do you all the differences between the photographs?}

Comments

[joanna]

Okay, as I was reading this, I kept saying: "I know! Me, too... I even eat the entire apple, INCLUDING the core but minus the stem!" And then I would read on that you do, as well. And then I would say: "I bet she doesn't eat the inside of the apricot pit, which tastes like an almond." And then I would read on and find that you do, as well. (I, too, have always wondered about the apricot/almond lineage.)
So,I just wanted to let you know that I hear you, man. You're not alone.

P.S.

I also eat the cooked rind of my acorn squash.

And probably classified under a separate food neurosis, I'd often get busted when I was a kid for chewing on the paper cupcake liners after the cupcake was all gone. Hey, I didn't want to waste any precious crumbs!

Yeah, I'll chalk it up to curiosity!

[misha]

This is one of your most beautiful pieces. It is exactly that curiosity that takes us into new and exciting frontiers with a result that is so often original. Kudos

[Lulu]

I too have been really (borderline obsessive) curious about the connection between stone fruits, cherries, and almonds over the last couple of weeks. There they are on all the trees, just waiting to be picked apart and munched upon.

Is there a tiny almond inside a cherry or plum pit? I'll find out tonight.

[Fatemeh]

Oooooh... where did you find green almonds?? Dipped in a little bit of salt, they are the bestest crunchy treat of summer.

[Cathy]

From the University of Georgia's site:
"Almonds are members of the Rosaceae (rose) family, along with many other tree fruits such as peaches, apples, pears, plums, cherries, and apricots. Within the genus Prunus, almond is most closely related to the peach, and the two crops share the subgenus Amygdalus. Peach and almond are generally cross and graft compatible, and hybrids of the two are used as rootstocks."

Mmmmmmangosteens!! I had one last week - someone brought in a stash from [NYC] Chinatown.

[Kat]

Whoa! I was just reading about green almonds on David Lebovitz's blog.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/06/#000265

What a small world!

I spent many a childhood day munching on green almonds in the grandparent's yard. :-)

[Alexandra Watkins]

Shuna, you ate your own mud pies?! Priceless. You are fearless, woman!