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Almonds have crossed oceans, cultures and centuries. The first known record of almonds is written in the old testament of the bible in the book of Numbers, God allows Arron's rod to blossom and bare almonds as a sign of abundance and approval. Almonds grew wild in central Asia and their high nutritional value and long storage life made them the perfect snack for ancient travels and trade. They spread quickly across Middle Eastern and European countries between 700-900AD. The Almond's spiritual, nutritional and cultural value became enriched and engraved in all communities it reached. Their beautiful blossom and symbolism have attracted artists like Van Gogh to paint over a dozen paintings of them and for Shakespeare to eloquently speak about them in his poetry. Persian rugs, Italian mandolins, Greek myths, Japanese festivals, fertility rituals and endless paintings all center on almonds.
It was not until the movement of Spanish missionaries to the new world in the 1700's that California had almonds planted all along its coast line. However they were unsuccessful in growing a significant number of almonds due to the wet, cool climate during the bloom. Once almonds were planted in the central valley of California in the late 1800's a large commercial volume of almonds were grown. This production was mainly attributed to consistently warm winters that were perfect for the growth cycle and bloom period of the almond tree.
In the past 30 years almond production has grown significantly. Cross breading, development in tree varieties and advanced production technologies have led to bigger crops every year. Almonds long history in many countries and cultures has also led to a continuous demand. Currently California grows 80% of the worlds almonds.