Almonds
<p >The <b>almond</b> (<i><b>Prunus dulcis</b></i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synonym_(taxonomy)#Botany" title="Synonym (taxonomy)" >syn.</a> <i>Prunus amygdalus</i> Batsch., <i>Amygdalus communis</i> L., <i>Amygdalus dulcis</i> Mill.), is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. "Almond" is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus" title="Prunus" >Prunus</a></i>, it is classified with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach" title="Peach" >peach</a> in the subgenus <i>Amygdalus</i>, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated shell (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocarp" title="Endocarp" class="mw-redirect" >endocarp</a>) surrounding the seed.</p>
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The fruit of the almond is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupe" title="Drupe" >drupe</a>, consisting of an outer hull and a hard shell with the seed or "nut" (which is not a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut(fruit)" title="Nut (fruit)" >true nut</a>) inside. Shelling almonds refers to removing the shell to reveal the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed" title="Seed" >seed</a>. Almonds are commonly sold <b>shelled</b> (i.e., after the shells are removed), or <b>unshelled</b> (i.e., with the shells still attached). <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanching(cooking)" title="Blanching (cooking)" >Blanched</a></b> almonds are shelled almonds that have been treated with hot water to soften the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedcoat" title="Seedcoat" class="mw-redirect" >seedcoat</a>, which is then removed to reveal the white <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo" title="Embryo" >embryo</a>.</p>