Harvesting almonds, Majorca

Originating in Central Asia, almond farming spread around the Mediterranean Sea under the influence of the Greeks and Phoenicians. Ancient Romans referred to almonds as "Greek nuts". In the Balearic Islands, the ancient cultivation of almonds has remained traditional, much like wine growing or olive farming. Fruits are shaken down from the branches over sheets spread out beneath. The low productivity of each almond tree (2-5 kg of fruits per tree) is compensated for by the large area planted with trees; however, that area has diminished considerably because old trees have rarely replaced. With a production of 200,000 tons in 2005, Spain nevertheless remains the second largest almond producer in the world (far behind the United States whose almonds - 670,000 tons in 2005 - account for 70% of the world's production). Spanish almonds supply the European market where they are increasingly highly prized in various forms in confectionary and pastry (dried sweet almonds), as aromatic agent (essence of bitter almond) and in cosmetics (sweet almond oil).