Snack Idea: Tamari Almonds

November 18th, 2007 · 3 Comments

I’ve snacked on raw almonds before. They’re a great mid-afternoon snack. But, a few days ago a friend and I were in Whole Foods and I picked up a bag of tamari almonds out of curiosity. They looked intriguing because they look just like regular almonds but they are a dark, burnt-sienna color (sorry, Crayola) with a light dusting of a powder of some sort. My friend assured me that they were excellent, and told me that he eats them “all the time.”

So, I decided to give ‘em a try.

I love trying new things – especially when they turn out to be really good. It’s wonderful when you find new foods that you can add to your eating repertory, because variety is the spice of life. And, so these tamari almonds turned out to be a great find for me. They’ve got the nutty mild almond taste that we all love, but it’s “kicked up” a little (sorry, Emeril) with some exotic spice. But, don’t worry – they aren’t traditionally “spicy.”

I’m going to write another post on what tamari actually is – it turns out its something that you are already familiar with, but with just a different name (and different form), and it’s healthy too! If you don’t know what tamari is, just go out and try some tamari almonds and see if you like them. Trust me, and be brave! And, check back – I’ll do a post on tamari and reveal the big mystery!

(UPDATE: Here is the post on tamari: What Is Tamari?)

Snack on, fearlessly!

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3 responses so far ↓

1 LA // Nov 19, 2007 at 12:02 pm

Yum, good idea. I love those Blue Diamond smokehouse almonds, but these seem like a much healthier alternative!
2 Rob // Dec 7, 2007 at 3:10 pm

The issue I have with smokehouse, blue diamond or any other supplier is that the almonds are no longer raw, they’re cooked. They’re baked and then they’ve got the “sauce” on them.

Yep - taste good

nope - not healthy

any cooked nuts turn rancid and the once good fat from them is now doing a dis-service to your health.

yes - taste good though
3 Chris Davis // Dec 7, 2007 at 3:38 pm

Rob,

Thanks for that tip – very helpful. I did a little quick research and The World’s Healthiest Foods site agrees. They recommend avoiding commercially-roasted nuts for the same reason you mentioned:

Roasting nuts at a temperature higher than 170F will cause a breakdown of their fats and the production of free radicals. When nuts roasted at the high temperatures used commercially are consumed, the free radicals they contain can cause lipid peroxidation-the oxidizing of fats in your bloodstream that can trigger tiny injuries in artery walls-a first step in the build up of plaque and cardiovascular disease.

And they suggest instead to roast them at home on your own at lower temperatures:

It is safe to roast nuts if done at a low temperature-typically a 160-170 degree Fahrenheit oven (at higher temperatures than this, research clearly shows damage to nuts’ delicate fats) for 15-20 minutes will do the trick. Place nuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer.

So, check out this article: The Ancient Japanese Art of Tamari, get your hands on some real Japanese tamari, and slow roast some tamari almonds at home, so they taste great and stay healthy!

Thanks again, Rob!

- Chris