About Almond Extract Its scientific name is Prunus Amygalus Dulcis and it is just as popular as vanilla extract. Almond extract, or extrait d'camande in French, is a combination of bitter almond and ethyl alcohol. It carries a very strong flavor that must be used in moderation. Almond extract is predominantly added in most baked goodies, particularly popular in many Scandinavian recipes. Often used in fairly small amounts of about a half a teaspoon per batch, it is an added ingredient to many recipes made for crackers, cookies, bars, bread, marzipan and even the breakfast treat, French toast. Almond extract is not only used in sweet desserts, Middle Eastern people also add this to their meat stews and curry. History Almonds became very popular in France in the year 1372, when it was discovered that the queen at that time had a vast supply of almonds more than sugar or any other confectioneries. In the mid 1700s, Spanish missionaries brought this fruit to California and the state today is considered a major producer of almonds all over America and the world. Almond is one of the United States’ largest exports. Spain only comes second to being the largest almond producer. Properties of Almond Extract Almond extract comes from almond trees which abundantly grow in North Africa, the western part of Asia and some parts of the Mediterranean. Because almond trees can be cultivated extensively, from the warm regions to the cooler British Isles, it cannot be pinpointed as to where it originally came from. Almond trees are moderate in size. It has serrated leaves and its flowers bloom in spring time. Almonds are fruits that look like nuts or seeds and they are greenish in color. They carry the scientific name Prunus dulcis and they belong to a subfamily called Subfamily Prunoideae (Rosaceae). Almonds are in the same classification as fruits like peach, cherry or plum; but it is distinguished from these kinds by its seed’s corrugated outer shell and its leathery coating. Hence often times it is mistaken for as a “nut”. Almond seeds or fruits come in two kinds: sweet and bitter. Characteristics of Almond Extract Sweet Almond