The Boomerang Box loads to the President Truman carrying Blue Diamond almonds. Click on photo to see a larger image.

Can you name the product that is California’s biggest food export? That is, what is the food Californians sell to people in other countries that is worth the most money?

If trying to figure out the answer to this question made you nutty.... well, you’re right! Almonds — those little nuts — are California’s biggest food export. In fact, California growers produce about $1 billion worth of almonds each year. They sell these almonds around the U.S. and in more than 90 foreign countries.

Are you surprised that such a little thing could be worth so much around the world? How did a nut get to be so popular?

Almonds are a healthy snack that people all over the world enjoy. That certainly accounts for their popularity. But, even more important is that fact that almonds have been used for centuries in different ways and for different reasons in countries around the world. Almonds have a rich history in many different cultures that continues today.

In India, for instance, almonds were first introduced many centuries ago by Persian and Afghanistan traders. They were available in only a few regions at first, but eventually were sold throughout India as a valuable source of protein in a country where many people don’t eat meat. Almonds in India were believed to be a sacred “brain” food that would increase your thinking ability. In fact, businesspeople even today will make power drinks out of water and crushed almonds to prepare for big meetings. And “Jordan Almonds,” or almonds that are covered with a hard sugar coating, are often served at important ceremonies and weddings to symbolize fertility and a sweet married life.

Persian traders also brought almonds to China, sometime during the 1300s. There, almonds were used a medicine, not a food: to help cure coughing and upset stomach.

Almonds in Japan — introduced there by Portuguese traders — were also first used as a medicine for coughing. But today, almonds are eaten by young and old in a variety of foods and medicines. Almond peptide, for instance, is used for circulatory problems, muscular pain, and upset stomach. And children all over Japan eat Calmond, a mix of baby sardines and slivered almonds, in their lunches each day. The combination of sardines and almonds helps children get calcium, which is important since Japanese children typically do not eat or drink dairy products.

How are almonds used in the U.S.? Can you think of any examples?

Almonds are not the only kind of food to have a history that is closely tied to celebrations, medicine, and other cultural practices. In fact, many of the foods we eat every day have long histories in our country and in others.

Homework Assignment: Pick your favorite fruit or vegetable. Now use the encyclopedia, library, or Internet to see what you can learn about that food. What is its history? Where is it grown? Where and how is it prepared and eaten? Are there any special uses for this food at holidays, festivals, or ceremonies? Write a one-page report describing what you learned. (If you can’t think of a fruit or vegetable to use, here are a few that you might find interesting: pumpkins, apples, and corn. What can you learn about them?)