The timid February and March sun shines with restrained but comforting energy. The caress of its rays revives the sleeping branches. The buds awaken with light-coloured generosity. This prodigy is short-lived, barely two or three weeks.
The paths of Rioja, of any Mediterranean setting, are shrouded in a delightful scent. The fields are filled with a subtle essence. In Jewish tradition, the almond tree was called "the watchman" or "the awakened". It is the first tree that seems to answer the inconspicuous call of nature, the first to announce the impending spring.
Beyond their boundary role, almond trees are, of course, used for other purposes. The fruit, the almond, complements the main crop. Although it depends on the climate of each area, almonds are usually picked prior to the harvest, in a beneficial coexistence of crops.
February 2020 has been unusually warm in Rioja Alavesa, and our almond trees have flowered earlier. They have provided us with beautiful walks and sights that leave our senses in awe. The contrast between the flowery tops of the small almond tree clusters and the sobriety of the naked vines creates one of the most beautiful scenes in the cycle of nature on our hills and slopes.
Almond farming essentials
A quintessential dry farming tree crop, almonds have been a staple sustenance in many areas of the Iberian Peninsula. In fact, the almond trees that we see scattered, and in many cases isolated, on the edges of the fields are a telltale of self-sufficient family farming.
The fruit is used for several purposes, the most primary one being nourishment. Almonds are eaten fresh or roasted, and are traditionally used as an ingredient in a wide variety of pastries. They are, in fact, the main component of turrón or nougat, a popular Mediterranean sweet with a marked Arab influence.
Almonds have always been processed in different ways, either as flour, oil or even as a flavour enhancer in spirits. Beyond its culinary uses, almonds are gaining popularity in cosmetics and hygiene products, boosting demand in recent decades. As is the case with walnut trees, large almond plantations have sprung up in Mediterranean climate regions such as the central valleys of California. In Spain we are also witnessing a rise in almond crops based on productive and profitable criteria.
We wish to thank Fernando Caballero (Reproimagen) for letting us use his pictures of almond trees in Riojan landscapes."
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