Every September our sourcing team spends a week with grower families in Pulwama and Budgam, the two districts that still produce most of India’s true Mamra badam. It is a small crop — Mamra makes up a tiny share of the almonds eaten in India — and the trees are old, rain-fed and harvested by hand.
What makes an almond “Mamra”
Mamra kernels are short, curved and concave, almost boat-shaped, with a rough, deeply-grained skin. Break one and the inside looks waxy rather than chalky: that is the natural oil, often close to half the kernel by weight. The flavour is sweeter and longer than the flat, uniform almonds most of us grew up with.
How we grade a lot
- Shape first. Flat or broken kernels are pulled out on the sorting table.
- The snap test. A good kernel bends slightly before it breaks — dry, brittle kernels are old stock.
- Oil on paper. Pressed on blotting paper, Mamra leaves a clear oil mark within seconds.
- Taste. Any bitterness and the whole bag is rejected.
Only about one bag in three from the first pick meets that bar. What passes is nitrogen-flushed within hours and packed as our Kashmiri Mamra Badam.
Soak, peel, repeat
Soak five or six kernels in water overnight, peel in the morning and eat them slowly. Soaking softens the skin, makes them easier to digest and brings out the milky sweetness. If you prefer a crunchier, everyday almond for baking and badam milk, our California Soft-Shell Almonds are the better value.
