Test results are in!
Late last year, you may have read about the taste test in our office comparing six different varietals of almonds. Today, we find out the results!
There was a clear winner.
The almond variety Carmel received the most 4 or 5 ratings by far!
Carmel and Aldrich varieties, even though the smallest almonds of the bunch, were the clear winners averaging a 4 out of 5 rating with the perennial contender Nonpareil coming in a close third. Butte, Padre, and Independence scored similarly averaging around a 3 out of 5. Independence came in as the least favored variety with the highest number of 1 or 2 ratings.
An unexpected finding was how the participants felt about having to crack open the shells to get to the nuts. One of our taste testers said, “Opening them is fun!”
Methodology
Here's a brief explanation of how we conducted the test and came up with our results. The directions were fairly straightforward:
Please taste each and rate each based on if you'd buy them in a store using 1-5 rating system.
SCALE:
- 1 = Yuck, I would be upset if I bought these at the store
- 5 = Delicious, where can I buy these now!
We will be revealing the results and variety favorites after we get a large enough sample size. Thanks for playing!
Ceres Imaging team members trickled in over the next few days and participated in the taste test. They wrote down the notes and submitted to me for inclusion in the results.
Lasting Impressions
Taste testers were truly amazed at the differences from one variety to another.
3 & 5 tastes like pistachio ice cream...confectionary!
5 tastes like marzipan.
3 & 5 taste like cherries!
Many marveled at how delicious these new-to-them varieties were and wondered why they couldn't buy them commercially.
More to come
Later this season, we'll be making a field trip to the farm where these almonds were grown for an inside look at the role each of these varieties play. We'll also have a chance to chat with the producer to get his views on these varieties. Stay tuned!