Genesis 43: 11

“Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.”

This is an excerpt from the story of Israel (also known as Jacob), how his sons went to Egypt to find food. Little did they know that their younger brother, Joseph, was now in charge of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh. In short, Joseph recognized them and ordered them to return with their youngest brother, Benjamin. Israel was distraught but accepted this as something that they had to do. He then ordered his sons to bring gifts including, balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.

I couldn’t help but notice that Israel viewed almonds as significant enough to present to Pharaoh’s second in command. To those unfamiliar with this story, Israel did not know that his son, Joseph was alive when he made this gift. 

In Numbers 17, the Israelites were grumbling against Moses and Aaron, against the Lord about the priesthood of Aaron’s tribe. After sending fire, plagues and earthquakes, the Lord then commanded all twelve tribes to send their leader’s staff in the Tent of Meeting, saying that the man he chooses, his staff will sprout. Moses found that Aaron’s staff had sprouted, but not only that; it has also budded, blossomed and produced almonds!

Again, almonds played a significant role in a biblical story. It made me wonder, there must be more to almonds than meets the eye?

Almond is a drupe (commonly mistaken for a nut), a fruit with a shell surrounding the seed, produced by flowering plants. It is rich in vitamin E, monounsaturated fat (a good fat which lowers LDL cholesterol), phenolics, and flavonoids. People claim that it improves complexion, movements in the colon, and prevents cancer. All of these are fine qualities that can enhance our health.

Obviously God does not need us to tell Him what is good for us, but rather we learn from Him. If He chose to use almonds to determine the chosen one, He did so intentionally. He is not careless and knows that we rely on Him to teach us. After all He is our Master, and He knows what’s the best for us.

With almonds playing a significant role in the Good Book, it might be wise to incorporate this in our daily lives. Almonds can be found in many mediums including its raw form, almond oil, almond butter, almond milk, and almond syrup.

Taking this into consideration, I have decided to include a recipe for almond-coconut macaroons.  It uses almond flour, or almond meal as some people calls it. It is easily found in grocery stores, often in the natural food section. Or you can buy raw almonds and throw it in the food processor until it is fine.

Almond-Coconut Macaroons

2 1/2 c. almond flour (meal)

1/2 c. coconut flour (you can grind coconut flakes for this purpose)

2 Tbsp. Tapioca starch

1 c. sugar

3 egg white

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Coconut flakes to roll in (optional)

1.)            Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 2 large cookie sheets.

2.)            Combine dry ingredients (except for sugar) in a bowl. Set aside.

3.)            Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.

4.)            Slowly add sugar to the egg whites. Add vanilla.

5.)            Mix in the dry ingredients.

6.)            Roll small spoonfuls onto cookie sheets (you can place them closely since they will not spread).

7.)            Bake for about 20 minutes.

8.)            Enjoy! Tastes great with coffee.


PS. It won't look like your typical macaroons because it is homemade.