March 13, 2021
The “Pizzura d'Avola”, known and appreciated even outside the Sicilian borders, is a typical variety of the Val di Noto area.
“A perfect oval that brings to mind Antonello's female faces”
The almond tree “Amygdalus communis”, native to central-western Asia, is a fruit tree belonging to the Rosaceae family and the Prunus genus.
Presumably the first specimens date back to the Bronze Age, and similarly there is uncertainty about the presence of spontaneous species in Sicily.
Depending on the characteristics of the almond, the following varieties are distinguished:
- bitter, whose seeds contain hydrocyanic acid;
- dulcis or sativa, whose seeds are used in the food sector, in the confectionery industry and for the extraction of medicinal almond oil;
- fragilis (or handstick), with sweet seed, but non-woody endocarp.
The plant has a medium development, with a wrinkled stem and a globose crown. The roots are fasciculated and are able to explore the ground covering a surface 6-7 times greater than that of the crown.
The almond, an indehiscent dry fruit (therefore unable to open when ripe), is composed of an exocarp called the “husk” which dries when ripe; a woody endocarp inside which is the edible part, the seed, covered by a wrinkled red-brown film.
Often you can find two seeds inside the same shell and this characteristic can be both a positive factor, if the almond is intended for the confectionery industry, and therefore for processing, but it can also be considered a defect, if it is intended for direct sale as dried fruit.
The “Pizzuta d'Avola” is a typical variety of the Val di Noto area, in particular of Avola in the province of Syracuse.
The distinctive characteristics are the size, larger than other varieties, and the final “lace” (hence the name).
The “Avola almond”, whose name includes the three different cultivars known as Pizzuta, Fascionello and Romana, is currently included in the list of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) of the Sicily region.
It has a hard and smooth shell with small pores. Its seed has a flat shape, leather red in color. The excellence of the Pizzuta also lies in the fact that it does not require irrigation, thus obtaining a drier almond with a low percentage of humidity, with a shell capable of sealing the seed well, thus not allowing numerous parasites to affect the excellence of the product!
However, being a self-incompatible species and therefore unable to reproduce on its own, it requires plants that act as pollinators, and for this reason the cultivar that generally accompanies it is Fascionello.
Pizzuta d'Avola has a shelled yield of 20-25%, a value that can be considered within the standard norm.
Natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, precious food supplement, rich in nutrients, the Avola Almond is a must in quality pastry making, in superb granitas, in refined almond milk and in confectionery.
It contains large quantities of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins B1, important for the normal functioning of the nervous system, calcium, iron; for this reason it is considered a food that should never be missing in diets and in a healthy diet.
