Amygdalin and Benzaldehyde Levels in California Almond (Prunus dulcis) Varietals

The responsible for the bitter taste in almonds is amygdalin, a cyanogenic diglucoside, which can hydrolyze to release benzaldehyde, an aromatic aldehyde with a pleasant almond-like aroma. As key aroma compounds, amygdalin and benzaldehyde levels were measured in the top 14 commercially available almond cultivars grown in California.
 
According to the results, ‘Aldrich’ has significantly higher concentrations of benzaldehyde in the headspace, the key contributor of the almond aroma.
 
Luo, K. K., Kim, D. A., Mitchell-Silbaugh, K. C., Huang, G., & Mitchell, A. E. (2017, November). Comparison of amygdalin and benzaldehyde levels in California almond (Prunus dulcis) varietals. In VII International Symposium on Almonds and Pistachios 1219 (pp. 1-8).