CAIRO: Lovers of Indian almonds are preparing to reap the fruit off trees spread across the Saudi governorate of Wadi al Dawassir, or purchase it from markets that begun selling toward the end of last month.
Prices of the Indian almond, which is also known by several other names, cost between 10-20 Saudi riyals per kilo.
Visitors to the Wadi al Dawassir governorate may encounter the tree anywhere across the region. Saudi Arabian farmers plant belts of the 10-meter-high trees to create wind barriers to protect their farms.
But it soon proved popular among many people in comparison to any other fruit. Farmer Abdullah Nasser Al-Dosari explained that this thorny tree bears its fruit in the middle of Spring season, with big, leathery leaves whose color changes to red before they drop on the ground. It is among trees which bees depend on, providing them with a habitat.
The Indian almond tree is considered the largest tropical tree in the Leadwood tree family and is native to tropical Asia and northern Australia. It is believed to have existed in Wadi al Dawassir with five decades.
Farmer Mohammad Mubarak Al-Dosari said the seed within the fruit is edible when fully ripe. It is available free to anyone who wants to harvest it from any tree they encounter.
Nutritionist Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah said that Indian Almonds are low in calories just like other almonds. Studies say that almonds are rich in oils that are not fully absorbed by the body, which means eating 84 grams of healthy almonds in a diet on a daily basis reduces calories by 5%.
