An almond is an edible seed that grows inside a hard shell on almond trees, which thrive in warm, dry climates like California's Central Valley. Although we call almonds nuts and find them in the nut aisle at the grocery store, they're technically seeds related to peaches and apricots.

Almonds have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a satisfying crunch. People eat them raw as snacks, roast them with salt or honey, grind them into almond butter, or slice them thin to sprinkle on salads and desserts. Bakers use almond flour in cakes and cookies, and almond extract adds flavor to everything from marzipan to wedding cakes.

The word also describes a pale tan color with a hint of pink, like the color of an almond's inner flesh. You might see paint colors or fabrics described as almond, especially in kitchens and bathrooms from the 1980s and 1990s.

Almond trees produce beautiful white or pale pink blossoms in early spring, creating stunning displays across orchards. These blossoms need bees for pollination, which is why beekeepers truck millions of hives to California each February for what's called “almond pollination,” one of the largest managed pollination events in the world.