Terminalia catappa

‘Nattuvadumai’

The Badam or the Indian Almond, is a fast growing tree with huge leaves that turn red in the summer and fall to the ground. It is grown extensively in the tropics as an ornamental tree, particularly because of the vibrant, striking shades of its leaves, and the aesthetically pleasing, symmetric form of the tree as well.

The Nattuvadumai, as it is known in Tamil, also produces a large seed pod whose mesocarp is edible – particularly popular amongst children who enjoy biting into its fleshy, tangy sweetness, and who are also fascinated by the deep reddish maroon colour left behind in the mouth!

Within the pod is an edible Almond that is long and slender. One would have to first dry the pods and then hammer them open. When hitting the pod, place it on its side, and hit it on the edge so it just splits open, otherwise it is a bit too hard to break straight through the shell. It may take a little familiarizing until the pods open without smashing the nut within, but once one has done it a few times, it is almost meditative, and one ends up with a bowl full of delicious, nutritious nuts, that are otherwise actually quite expensive to buy from the market!

In most places, one can find these trees growing, even in the big cities! And one can see the almond pods just lying on the ground because nobody seems to have the time to collect them and open them. If this became a collective activity with your friends – inviting them over, putting on music and serving a little tea and snacks, a couple of times a month in the season, the job would be done very easily and everyone could share in this delicious bounty of Mother Nature!