Almond milk is a plant milk manufactured from almonds with a creamy texture and nutty taste. It contains neither cholesterol nor lactose, and is often consumed by those who are lactose-intolerant and others who wish to avoid dairy products, including vegans. Commercial almond milk comes in sweetened, unsweetened, plain, vanilla and chocolate flavors, and is usually enriched with vitamins. It can also be made at home using a blender, almonds and water. It is traditionally consumed through much of the Mediterranean.
Sales of almond milk overtook soy milk in the United States in 2013, and by May 2014, it comprised two-thirds of the US plant milk market. In New York in 2015, a lawsuit was filed against two almond milk manufacturers, claiming that the actual almond content in marketed products contained an unexpectedly small amount of almonds. In the United Kingdom, almond milk sales increased from 36 million liters in 2011 to 92 million in 2013.
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History
In the Middle Ages, almond milk was known in both the Islamic world and Christendom. As a nut (the "fruit of a plant"), it is suitable for consumption during Lent. "Medieval cookbooks suggest that the aristocracy observed fasting strictly, if legalistically. Meat-day and fish-day recipes were not separated in medieval recipe collections, as they were in later, better-organized cookbooks. But the most basic dishes were given in fast-day as well as ordinary-day versions. For example, a thin split-pea puree, sometimes enriched with fish stock or almond milk (produced by simmering ground almonds in water), replaced meat broth on fast days; and almond milk was a general (and expensive) substitute for cow's milk." However, in many of almond milk's more traditional areas of consumption, cow's milk is not commonly consumed and almonds are produced in large quantities making almond milk a more common beverage.
In Persian cuisine, an almond milk based dessert called harireh badam, (almond gruel) is traditionally served during Ramadan.
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Commerce
In the United States, almond milk remained a niche health food item until the early 2000s, when its popularity began to increase. In 2011 alone, almond milk sales increased by 79%. In 2013, it surpassed soy milk as the most popular plant-based milk in the U.S. As of 2014 it comprised 60 percent of plant-milk sales and 4.1 percent of total milk sales in the US.
Popular brands of almond milk include Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze and WhiteWave Foods' Silk PureAlmond. Blue Diamond and WhiteWave have been embroiled in a class-action lawsuit alleging that the almond milk's labeling misleads consumers into believing that the product contains more than the 2% almonds it actually contains.
Within the Italian regions of Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Campania, almond milk is a protected traditional agricultural product.
Nutrition
If unfortified, almond milk has less vitamin D than fortified cows' milk; in North America cows' milk must be fortified with vitamin D, but vitamins are added to plant milks on a voluntary basis. Because of its low protein content, almond milk is not a suitable replacement for breast milk, cows' milk, or hydrolyzed formulas for children under two years of age.
Production
The basic method of modern domestic almond milk production is to grind almonds in a blender with water, then strain out the almond pulp (flesh) with a strainer or cheesecloth. Almond milk can also be made by adding water to almond butter.
In July 2015, a class action lawsuit was placed in New York against two American manufacturers, Blue Diamond Growers and White Wave Foods, for false advertising on the product label about the small amount of almonds (only 2%) actually in the final product. In October of 2015, a judge denied the consumers' request for an injunction.
Sustainability
A majority of American almonds are grown in the state of California. In light of the recent issues with drought in California, it has become more difficult to raise almonds in sustainable manner. The issue becomes complex because of the high amount of water needed to produce almonds. Studies show that a single almond requires roughly 1.1 US gallons (4.2 L) of water to grow properly.
See also
- Coconut milk
- Hemp milk
- Plant milk
- Rice milk
- Soy milk
References
External links
Source of article : Wikipedia
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