Almond

The almond is a species of tree in the genus Prunus, classified together with the peach in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from other Prunus subgenera by corrugations on the woody shell surrounding the seed. The fruit of the almond is a drupe consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell enclosing the seed, which is not a true nut, and almonds are sold both shelled and unshelled; blanched almonds are unshelled almonds treated with hot water to soften and remove the outer skin, revealing the white kernel beneath. Once cleaned and processed, almonds can be stored for around a year if refrigerated, spoiling faster at higher temperatures, and they are widely used across many cuisines.