Fats · Al

Almond

50% fat · 21% protein

Per 100 g

579 kcal Energy

21.2 g Protein

21.6 g Carbs

49.9 g Fat

12.5 g Fibre

Gluten-free NUTS

Let’s cook with it → Invent something with it

What it is for

They carry aroma. Most smell molecules dissolve in fat rather than water, which is why you bloom spices in oil. They also conduct heat, shorten gluten and soften texture.

Where it catches you out

Every fat has its own smoke point. Butter burns at 150 °C, extra virgin olive oil holds to 190 — choose the fat for the job, not the bottle.

The knack

To skin them, one minute in boiling water: they pop out under your thumb.

Storage and health

How to keep it, and who it suits.

Keeping it

In shell, a year somewhere cool and dry; shelled, 6-9 months refrigerated or two years frozen.

Gluten-free

Plain almonds are naturally gluten-free.

Allergen: NUTS

Glycaemic index

This ingredient carries no meaningful carbohydrate, so it has no glycaemic index. On its own it will not move blood sugar; what you eat alongside it decides that.

What it works with

Pairings, and the reason for each

"They go well together" is not an explanation. Every pairing below has a chemical or structural mechanism under it.

Cinnamon →

Cinnamaldehyde and benzaldehyde are both benzenoid aldehydes with overlapping sensory character — one of the genuine shared-compound pairings in this list.

Milk →

Benzaldehyde and the almond’s lipids extract into hot milk, which is the basis of keşkül and almond-milk puddings; the fat-and-water system captures both polar and non-polar aroma.

Also works with

Sugar

Rice

Saffron

Honey

Butter

Strawberry

What goes on top

Slivered almonds toasted in butter over pilaf, milk puddings and fish

Key compounds

Benzaldehit: The marzipan note; present directly in sweet almonds, released in bitter ones from amygdalin alongside hydrogen cyanide — which is why bitter almonds are toxic.

Nutritionally

Whole almonds deliver measurably fewer calories than the label implies, because intact cell walls trap fat and prevent complete digestion. Grinding them removes the effect.

Quick ideas