Fact

Wild almonds can kill you

Domestication of the almond was a matter of finding the one tree that would not.

1 min read

Wild almonds contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when the seed is crushed. A few dozen could be fatal. Sweet almonds arise from a single-gene mutation switching off amygdalin production; early farmers found and propagated those trees. Nearly every almond eaten today descends from that lineage.

Leave a thought

Your email address is not published.