How Almonds Went From Deadly To Delicious
In a new study, researchers pinpoint the genetic mutation that transformed almonds from toxic and bitter to tasty and sweet.
St. Basil's Hexaemeron, a Christian text from around the fourth century, contains a curious botanical instruction: Pierce an almond tree in the trunk near its roots, stick a "fat plug of pine" into its center, and its almond seeds will undergo a remarkable change.
"Thus the ... bitter almonds ... lose the acidity of their juice, and become delicious fruits," the text reads. "Let not the
