Apricot kernel

Amandon d'abricot

What it is

The almond flavour in amaretti and in most noyau liqueurs is not almond at all: it comes from this seed, cracked out of the apricot stone. Sweet or bitter is a cultivar trait rather than a stage of ripeness, so the same-looking kernel is eaten by the handful in Malatya and weighed out by the gram in a distillery.

In the kitchen

Crack the stones with the flat of a knife rather than a nutcracker — a nutcracker shatters shell into the kernel. Blanch and rub the brown skin off before grinding; that is where most of the bitterness sits.

Goes with

Apricot Dried apricot Cherry Persipan Honey Vanilla

Same species

Bergeron apricot Almond Almond flour Almond oil Amardine Amarena cherry in syrup

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