Organic Almonds Sardinia

Name: Organic Almonds Sardinia
Brand: Mandorle di Sardegna
SKU: MAN27-RW-250

From €6.20

We have been looking for an organic producer for a long time and our search has been rewarded. It is never just about taste, but about the story , the values and the mission behind the products. And Antonio Vinci and his almonds fit all of this like a glove. We have never tasted almonds like these in our lives, their crunchiness and sweetness are absolutely amazing.

Almonds are part of our everyday life and not a single day goes by without us holding some in our hands. Baked by Elena, they become a "healthy addiction" and are constantly found in a bowl on our table in the living room.

Our way to Antonio

Thanks to Giorgio Carente (who had given up his business because of personal reasons) we met Antonio Vinci from the small village of Tuili in the fertile Sardinian hills of Marmilla
Marmilla , a land of rolling Miocene hills and lonely basalt plateaus, is a sub-region in the centre-south of Sardinia and probably owes its name to the breast-shaped shape of the territory, where the hill of "Las Plassas" stands out as a perfect cone shaped by nature.
Antonio Vinci has been producing almonds here since 2014 and converted his almond farm into an organic farm in 2017. His almond farm covers an area of about 30 hectares and currently has about 4000 almond trees , and is embedded in an unspoilt natural landscape in the hills of Tuili, where it plays a protective and preservative role for the entire area.
The harvest is always done by hand and the almonds are stored in trays in a clean environment, free from humidity and darkness, without contact with the ground, so that Antonio's almonds can usually be shelled and packaged " to order " in order to always deliver a freshly shelled product. And that's not all: the selection is also done entirely by hand .

Regionality and cooperation with other manufacturers

Antonio works closely with other small producers in and around Campidano, with the aim of bringing genuine, natural products to the table, while following values such as naturalness, regionality and sustainability. Not to mention that he was the one who introduced us to Salvatore's Torrone and the absolutely fabulous pasta made with "Grano Cappelli" from Laura Accalai's Selet.
Antonio's unparalleled passion for his almond orchards can be seen by taking a look at his Instagram account : a love story that is rewritten every year. No wonder we fell in love with it too.

Explanation of the label

The drawing represents the landscape seen from the almond grove. On the left is the " nuraghe " of Barumini, in the middle the castle of Lasplassas and on the right the village of Tuili. A beautiful view, unspoiled nature, unforgettable scents...
Planting

The almond trees are planted according to the Pytagora 3-4-5 method, in Italian "Squadri triangolari" , to increase efficiency in an area where water scarcity exists.
" Squadri triangolari " refers to an agricultural method called "terracing" or "step farming". This method involves dividing agricultural land into terraces or steps, often in the shape of triangles, to maximize farming efficiency and productivity. This system is particularly useful in hilly or mountainous areas where the terrain is steep and water can be a problem. The terraced arrangement allows rainwater to be retained, reducing soil erosion and making it easier to grow crops.

Irrigation

The almond trees are grown "dry", that is, without irrigation, due both to the lack of infrastructure and the lack of underground water. In this context, almond cultivation in this region requires the implementation of agricultural practices that improve the efficiency of water use and have a low environmental impact.
The use of rootstocks, which is common in Antonio's "Azienda", allows the creation of orchards with high-density planting systems that can be fully mechanized in terms of tree care and harvesting operations. Self-rooted plants are more drought tolerant, which avoids stress conditions that can lead to production alternation.
New high-density plantations of self-rooting plants can be created under dry conditions by controlling the canopy volume through mechanical pruning. Reducing the canopy volume (40-60%) allows, for example, to reduce irrigation water volumes from about 5,000-6,000 m^3/ha to about 2,000-3,000 m^3/ha (1)
(1) https://www.agromillora.com/olint/it/la-coltivazione-del-mandorlo-in-aridocoltura/

Fertilization

Organic farming excludes the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, favoring natural methods. An example of this agricultural practice is the reuse of grass cut into mulch for the soil. During this decomposition, it enriches the soil with organic matter and improves its structure and ability to retain moisture.
This natural fertilization process is crucial to supporting successful organic farming while ensuring that almonds grow in a healthy environment.
Cut grass can be very useful as mulch. Covering the ground around the almond trees is very useful for several aspects: it helps retain moisture, protects the soil and limits the growth of pests.
Lentils have also been planted, which bring great benefits to the environment. Lentils are known for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, thus improving soil fertility without the use of chemical fertilizers.
The main almond varieties grown by Antonio are "Ferragnes", the other varieties being Tuono, Genco and Supernova.

The Ferragnes almond variety

Originally a French sweet almond variety, " Ferragnes " stands out as one of the best known and most appreciated varieties, especially for its sweet and delicate flavor . Since its introduction in southern Italy, particularly in regions such as Sardinia , Sicily and Puglia, it has developed remarkably well, adapting seamlessly to the warm climate conditions.
With their saucer-shaped and delicate flowers, " Ferragnes " serves as an important source of nectar and pollen for bees and wild bees, making these trees a valuable resource for biodiversity conservation . Although it takes four to five years for them to bear fruit, the wait is worth it as the trees reward both the eyes and the palate with some of the most beautiful colors and flavors that nature can produce.

The kernels of " Ferragnes " are medium-sized, measuring about four centimeters including the shell. They are elliptical in shape, brown in color and have a rough surface texture.
Almonds have been cultivated in Sardinia for centuries and are well adapted to the island's climate and soil conditions. The almond trees thrive in Sardinia's warm Mediterranean climate, where they have been cultivated for centuries.

Almond cultivation is of great economic importance for many farmers in Sardinia and provides a valuable source of income and employment opportunities, especially in rural areas.

An integral part of Sardinian cuisine, almonds are widely used in traditional pastries such as " Gateau di Mandorle ", " Amaretti di Sardegna " and the famous " Torrone ". This sought-after Sardinian nougat is made exclusively with honey, egg whites and almonds and showcases the island's rich culinary heritage.
Almonds, along with olive oil, vegetables and legumes, are an essential part of the Mediterranean diet .
They are a highly nutritious food whose benefits have been scientifically proven in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes , as well as in reducing weight , cholesterol and excess body fat.
The unsaturated fatty acids contained in almonds (90% of fats) help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases , lower blood cholesterol levels and protect LDL (low density lipoprotein) from oxidation.

Recent research suggests that almonds can play an important role in sports nutrition: they have the potential to reduce inflammation, reduce feelings of fatigue and tension, increase leg and back strength during recovery, and reduce muscle damage on the first day of recovery.

✔️ Rich in Omega 3 to prevent cardiovascular risks
✔️ Rich in magnesium to combat stress
✔️ Rich in calcium for healthy bones
✔️ Rich in powerful antioxidants
✔️ Rich in fiber that regulates the intestines

Almonds contain about 12 g of fiber per 100 g . With a typical portion of almonds, which is about 30 grams, you will cover about 14% of your daily fiber requirement!

Proteins

Having a total of about 21 % protein content, almonds make an excellent source of plant protein. The plant proteins in almonds are rich in arginine, which is a type of amino acid that's important for regulating blood flow

Sugars

Due to their low sugar content of about 3.9 g per 100 grams, almonds can be considered "naturally low in sugars" (according to the EU regulation)

Vitamin E - Alpha-tocopherol

Almonds are among the besst sources of vitamin E, with one serving (30 grams) providing 37 % of the daily vitamin E requirement.   Vitamin E is a family of fat-soluble antioxidants, that help protecting cells from oxidative damage such as pollution, UV rays, smoking and other detrimental factors

Minerals

Almonds are high in magnesium, 100 g providing about 67 % of the daily required intake. Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation   They are also high in calcium (26%) , phosporus (48%), copper (50%) and manganese (114%) Copper is an essential nutrient for the body. Together with iron, it enables the body to form red blood cells. It helps maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, nerves, and immune function, and it contributes to iron absorption

Phytosterols

Almonds - as other tree nuts as well - do not contain any dietary cholesterol, but are rich in related phytosterols, a family of compounds that interfere with cholesterol absorption, and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels by lowering total and LDL cholesterol
Phyllis, a princess of Thrace, met Acamas, son of Theseus, who landed in her kingdom for a stopover during his voyage to Troy. The two young people fell deeply in love, but Acamas was forced to continue the journey with the Achaeans to fight the war against Troy. The young princess, after ten years of waiting, not seeing him return, let herself die of grief. The goddess Athena, moved by this poignant love story, decided to transform Phyllis into a splendid almond tree. Acamas was actually not dead, and when he learned that Phyllis had been transformed into a tree, he reached out and embraced the plant, which, to reciprocate the caresses received, produced beautiful flowers from its bare branches instead of leaves. This embrace continues every year when the almond flowers bloom before the leaves.
https://onefootforward.gr/let-the-season-begin-the-almond-branches-have-blossomed/#:~:text=Greek%20mythology%20tells%20us%20of,Phyllis%20into%20an%20almond%20tree.
Over 70 % of the world's almonds are produced in California, and are either heated, blanched, or treated with pesticides. This creates a huge environmental problem, where billions of bees die every year, and unreal quantities of scarce water are used for the world's thirst of almonds. We have written an extensive report on this on our blog, and highly reccommend it for reading:
https://en.tresmundi.com/post/almonds-what-you-might-not-know-and-helping-you-make-the-right-decision