Almond trees in Kashmir

As a matter of fact, the almond was introduced into Indian cookery by the Mughals. The Almond tree has adapted to the climate of Kashmir. These trees are very big and shady. They grow up to a height of 15m and have large oval leaves tinged with red and fleshy fruits.

Another name for Almonds given by Indians is "badam". Almonds are considered the healthiest nuts to eat because they have the highest protein content of any nut. They are also very rich in calcium and other minerals.

People can find two types of almond trees. One is bitter in taste while other is sweet. Almonds grown in Kashmir tend to be slightly bitter but the sweet ones are imported into India from Afghanistan in great quantities.

The Kashmiri Almonds are exported all over India. The label on the packing is written in many Indian languages. They also contributed a lot to the increase in the use of the almond motif in textiles, weaving and sculpture.