Jump to content

Jordan Almonds - Sugar-Coated Whole-Almond Bite-Sized Dessert Treats


DonRocks

Recommended Posts

Tonight while I was waiting ... and waiting ... for my lamb kabob at Mount of Lebanon (which is now owned and run by the son; the Warrenton operation and Halal slaughterhouse is owned and run by the father), I had plenty of time to browse and shop (why do so many middle-eastern restaurants not begin fixing your order until you arrive? I get so frustrated with this). Well, anyway, I bought a Ziyad Brand 12-ounce plastic tub of Jordan Almonds, and noticed, once again, that lot of these products have a very similar taste and texture. Are there any that stand out as clearly superior to their competition? I like them, and they're addicting to snack on (my lamb kabob is still sitting downstairs, to be eaten for lunch tomorrow), but I can't help feeling they could be better still - maybe slightly less sweet, and with a touch more salt would put them in better balance.

Anyway, does anyone have any strong feelings about Jordan Almonds? This Ziyad Brand is certainly respectable, but I can't help wondering if it could be better.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Strong feelings? No. But, I imagine Jordan almonds were familiar to many of us growing up and as adults, well beyond Middle Eastern restaurants. I'm not 100% certain but think we used to get them in movie theaters too. Agree they're definitely addictive.

Your question about getting better ones is interesting. Maybe they're more of a niche snack so haven't been "reinvented" as so many other things have whether potato chips, chocolate & candy, Cracker Jack type snacks or donuts.

I'd guess the biggest opportunity would be the coating, which almost certainly has always been made with HFCS, artificial food coloring and who knows what else? And, the more I think about this, the more I think it may already exist with new companies like Kinderhook doing "healthy but familiar" snacks.

http://kinderhooksnacks.com

Edited to read: Yep. Sure it exists. Two of many sources here.

https://www.naturalcandystore.com/category/natural-jordan-almonds-dragees

http://t.candywarehouse.com/products/all-natural-dark-chocolate-jordan-almonds-5lb-bag/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am going to go home and look up the brand of Turkish delights and etc I bought in Dubai because their Jordan almonds were phenomenal.  Actually everything I bought there was phenomenal tasting with really cute packaging.  I should have bought more, but my suitcase only held so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don's post got me wondering a bit about this since, well, the genetic defect that makes one very interested in food traditions and history is a big part of what drives dr.com registrations, right? :-)

I liked Jordan almonds more as a kid than as an adult. But I didn't grow up around Middle Eastern food and had never before given any consideration to the name's provenance.

Don implied (didn't say outrifght) that these were Middle Eastern. That got me thinking they might be named for the country or people of Jordan. Or some historical or cultural tie-in. Jordan, the country, is probably too young to explain it but, of course, Transjordan and the Jordan River, as named, go back to biblical times so could be.

No to all.

Evidently, the source of all human knowledge traces them to Ancient Rome. And the name is a bastardization of the word "jardin," French and Spanish for "garden" descriptive of the many colors used for the hard candy shell.

And, the possibly credible owner (because, of course, there is one) of the jordanalmonds.com url also agrees while adding some interesting additional research on the specific colors and customary uses of the treats in different cultures.

May be just me but I found this interesting.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragée

http://www.jordanalmonds.com/Pages/Tradition%20&%20History.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Daaang. I'm not sure I could pull the trigger on $40/kilo Jordan almonds. Though, I guess, that's because I never really liked them.

Of course, I did just spend a weekend searching stores for Richardson Butter Mints, so who am I to talk? (PS: I found them!)

The truly wonderful, aged country ham at Straw, Stick and Brick is $60/lb. Really high-quality food is costly to produce?

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/17731-straw-stick-and-brick-deli-formerly-three-little-pigs-charcuterie-and-salumi/?p=288472

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tonight while I was waiting ... and waiting ... for my lamb kabob at Mount of Lebanon (which is now owned and run by the son; the Warrenton operation and Halal slaughterhouse is owned and run by the father), I had plenty of time to browse and shop (why do so many middle-eastern restaurants not begin fixing your order until you arrive? I get so frustrated with this). Well, anyway, I bought a Ziyad Brand 12-ounce plastic tub of Jordan Almonds, and noticed, once again, that lot of these products have a very similar taste and texture. Are there any that stand out as clearly superior to their competition? I like them, and they're addicting to snack on (my lamb kabob is still sitting downstairs, to be eaten for lunch tomorrow), but I can't help feeling they could be better still - maybe slightly less sweet, and with a touch more salt would put them in better balance.

Anyway, does anyone have any strong feelings about Jordan Almonds? This Ziyad Brand is certainly respectable, but I can't help wondering if it could be better.

I grew up on them. They are generally available in the Levantine countries -- Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria -- and we'll save the geopolitical aspects for another occasion. Syrians are known to eat more sugar per capita than any country in the world. When I was growing up, we called them mlabas, and at Syrian Orthodox weddings they were bagged as wedding favors. I prefer the Baroody brand, because after all, it's my surname in Arabic. Sahadi, on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, sells these by the pound.

Don's post got me wondering a bit about this since, well, the genetic defect that makes one very interested in food traditions and history is a big part of what drives dr.com registrations, right? :-)

I liked Jordan almonds more as a kid than as an adult. But I didn't grow up around Middle Eastern food and had never before given any consideration to the name's provenance.

Don implied (didn't say outrifght) that these were Middle Eastern. That got me thinking they might be named for the country or people of Jordan. Or some historical or cultural tie-in. Jordan, the country, is probably too young to explain it but, of course, Transjordan and the Jordan River, as named, go back to biblical times so could be.

No to all.

Evidently, the source of all human knowledge traces them to Ancient Rome. And the name is a bastardization of the word "jardin," French and Spanish for "garden" descriptive of the many colors used for the hard candy shell.

And, the possibly credible owner (because, of course, there is one) of the jordanalmonds.com url also agrees while adding some interesting additional research on the specific colors and customary uses of the treats in different cultures.

May be just me but I found this interesting.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragée

http://www.jordanalmonds.com/Pages/Tradition%20&%20History.htm

Jordan in Arabic is Urdun, and the Hashemite Kingdon of Jordan is al-Mamlakah al-UrdunÄ«yah al-HÄshimÄ«yah. It is named after the Jordan River, or Nahr al-Urdun, the river in which Jesus was baptized. It may have derived from the Hebrew Yarden, which may have derived from Yarad, meaning "flow down" or descend.

None of which has much to do with candy-coated almonds....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grew up on them. They are generally available in the Levantine countries -- Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria -- and we'll save the geopolitical aspects for another occasion. Syrians are known to eat more sugar per capita than any country in the world. When I was growing up, we called them mlabas, and at Syrian Orthodox weddings they were bagged as wedding favors. I prefer the Baroody brand, because after all, it's my surname in Arabic. Sahadi, on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, sells these by the pound.

Jordan in Arabic is Urdun, and the Hashemite Kingdon of Jordan is al-Mamlakah al-UrdunÄ«yah al-HÄshimÄ«yah. It is named after the Jordan River, or Nahr al-Urdun, the river in which Jesus was baptized. It may have derived from the Hebrew Yarden, which may have derived from Yarad, meaning "flow down" or descend.

None of which has much to do with candy-coated almonds....

Right. In this context "Jordan" emanated from "jardin" or "garden". I'm curious. Did you grow up thinking these were a distinctively Middle Eastern treat? I never had that association despite being very familiar with the candies.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right. In this context "Jordan" emanated from "jardin" or "garden". I'm curious. Did you grow up thinking these were a distinctively Middle Eastern treat? I never had that association despite being very familiar with the candies.

Yes, they were omnipresent at all Syrian and Lebanese households and functions throughout Pennsylvania as I was growing up. I never saw them anywhere else.

Similarly, amardeen is the dried apricot paste that is common throughout that area. My mom would cut srtips of it with her scissors and then tie a knot with each strip, and present them on a platter next to the candy-coated almonds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, they were omnipresent at all Syrian and Lebanese households and functions throughout Pennsylvania as I was growing up. I never saw them anywhere else.

Similarly, amardeen is the dried apricot paste that is common throughout that area. My mom would cut srtips of it with her scissors and then tie a knot with each strip, and present them on a platter next to the candy-coated almonds.

I have to say that pretty much the only times I've consumed Jordan Almonds (which are highly addicting, BTW) were as party favors at weddings here and in Canada. And they were all Protestant weddings (mainly Baptist).

Exactly. Interesting that these don't seem so culturally or regionally relevant in terms of the historical origin though Italy seems to have the claim on their invention. At the same time, these have been embraced within different cultures including the Middle East, Mediterranean, France and North America. Then again, I guess true for many foods with rice pudding coming to mind most immediately :-)

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/46389-european-puddings/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shemali's, in the same building on New Mexico Ave. as Ace Beverage, sells Jordan almonds. Although I don't know which brand they sell. they do have high quality products from Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, etc. so I imagine that this would be a good place to get them if you live in the District,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...