I’ve never been a fan of almonds. Actually, I was pretty repulsed by them when I was a bit younger. I thought they were stale and tasteless. My dad used to buy these big bags of trail mix at Costco, and I would pick at it in this very order: M&Ms, cashews, peanuts, cranberries, raisins, and last but not least, almonds. To be more accurate, I would pick out the good parts of trail mix (candy and cashews), and my dad would eat the rest (though he never complained, bless his heart).
I always thought almonds were an adult thing. It was one of those “mature people foods,” similar to wine, cheese, and olives. I’d seen my parents and relatives eat almonds, but I don’t think I’ve met anyone may age who actually enjoys almonds. Sure, I’d eat them if I had no other options, but I would not go out of way to find them. No one ever answers “almonds” to the age old question, “What’s your favorite food?”
The worst part about almonds was that by the time you finished a single almond, you would be left with tiny fragments of almond that stuck to your teeth and your gums. The feeling of running your tongue up against your gums and you getting a chunk of food and you’re like “oh yeah, I had some almonds earlier today” is not something I particularly enjoy.
However, something in my brain clicked one day while I was sitting in my dorm room perusing Amazon (a favorite hobby of mine, actually. I like to convince myself that I’m simply studying and analyzing the current e-market). I was debating if I should buy some Popchips or some PopCorners. I have an affinity for food that has the term “Pop” in it.
During my shopping, I felt a strong urge to eat some almonds. I had read a story earlier on Reddit about how this one guy quit sugar for so long that he thought almonds tasted sweet so that might have been a leading cause to my urge. Anyways, I did a quick search and the very next day, I had a 3 pound bag of almonds sitting on my desk. (Side story; my almonds were actually supposed to be delivered the same day, but something happened with the shipping and it ended up being delayed. So, I wrote a very nice email to Amazon and I ended up getting a $10 voucher!)
My first taste of the almonds were pure bliss. The perfectly roasted almonds ever so gently crumbled in my mouth, and the granules of fine salt hit my tastebuds with excitement. I’m not sure what overcame me, but from that moment on, I just fell in love with almonds. I found myself snacking on them everyday, every moment I could. A hand full here and a hand full there. It took me about two weeks to finish the entire 3 pound bag, and I’m about to order another one.
So what is the lesson of the story? Well, there isn’t really one. I just wanted to write about how my taste has changed since I was a kid repulsed by almonds. Now I see my love for almonds, and I highly encourage you to try some almonds!