Spring arrived early this year, on March 20. At this time of year, the sunnier days start to arrive, with temperatures rising, but the most striking characteristic is the colourful flowers.
One of the most notorious famous trees characteristics of the Algarve is the almond trees, which is one of the golden ingredients of Algarvian baking.
The almond tree is one of the most abundant and so well characterizes the Algarve landscape. The humble almond is used to make the tastiest cakes and delicacies, such as Doce Fino, Almond Candy, and Don Rodrigo. The almond tree has a rich genetic heritage that the Algarvians must safeguard.
The species has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for many centuries, As a result, there are many varieties due to the occurrence of natural mutations that give rise to numerous distinguishing characteristics between the trees. In the last century when the cultivation of the almond tree was mainly located in Southern Europe it was found that a variety (Duro Italiano) long thought extinct was still largely cultivated in the western Algarve.
The Algarve has favorable soil and climate conditions that contribute to the development of the almond tree, but as its longevity is relatively low compared to other trees, such as olive and carob, it is advisable whenever possible to plant diverse regional varieties.
“It is interesting to note that the high sugar and fat content of the Algarve almond is considered in the international market as being one of the best in the world”, according to João Costa and Armindo Rosa- Regional Direction of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Algarve.
Spring is already bringing new air to the country and the almond blossom is coming out to signal this as we prepare for the beginning of a beautiful summer with high temperatures that invite you to enjoy the beautiful beaches of the western Algarve.
