Jordan Almonds - History, Mysteries and Meanings
Have you ever asked yourself, "Why are Jordan Almonds such popular favors for large events like weddings?", "Why do they use 5 almonds in each favor?", "Do this have any special significance?", or "How are jordan almonds made?" Well, so have we at the Bulkcandy Store. So we did a little looking and here's what I learned.
In many cultures, the almond represents life and love. They are used as wedding favors, because a wedding is the ultimate symbol of those very things. One of the earliest associations of almonds with love can be found in Ovid's Heroides, specifically the story of Demophoon and Phyllis. After the Trojan War, the two fall in love, but Demophoon had to sail away before their marriage, promising to return soon. When he doesn't return, Phyllis dies and is turned into an almond tree, but the tree will not bloom. When Demophoon finally comes back for Phyllis, he finds out that she has died. Out of despair, he embraces the almond tree that she has become, and it blossoms into life! The blossoming fruit continues to symbolize love to this day. Fresh almonds have a bittersweet taste, which is said to represent life. The candy, or sugarcoating, is added with the hope that the newlyweds' life will be more sweet than bitter. Candy almonds, now known as Jordan Almonds, are often given out in small tulle bags or in similar floral-like arrangements as a wedding favor. Nowadays, Jordan Almonds come in every color imaginable, although white is most common for weddings since white represents purity. Jordan Almonds are commonly clustered together in groups of five to signify the five wishes for the new couple - health, wealth, happiness, children, and long life.
The Italian word for the almond arrangement is "bomboniere" (meaning favors); they are often personalized with the couple's names and wedding date. Several Middle Eastern cultures believe that Jordan Almonds are aphrodisiacs.
Although Jordan almonds are gorgeous in their own rite, there are many different ways to make spectacular looking wedding favors. You can wrap a cluster in tulle tied with ribbon, pack them in pretty boxes, place them in decorative bags, or pour a handful into champagne glasses or glass bowls.
Jordan Almonds are made in a very interesting way. It is a truly unique process that can never be completely automated. Almonds are peeled in a special machine and then put in large rotating basins. In a process known as panning, liquefied sugar, as well as flavoring and coloring, is poured in gradually to lightly coat the almonds. The almonds are then left to dry until the next morning. The process requires constant attention to detail which results in a candy that carries on a beautiful tradition.
It's important when purchasing Jordan Almonds to know about the different grades or types of product. They are graded based on the thickness of the candy used on each almond.
- Super Fine is the finest grade. The largest almonds are chosen and given a very thin layer of coating. You actually get the most almonds per pound (when compared with Fine and Extra Fine), and they are easiest on your teeth.
- Extra Fine is a medium grade of almonds with a more rounded shape and slightly more coating than the Super Fine grade.
- Fine uses the smallest and lowest grade of almonds, and are covered with more candy coating than Super or Extra-Fine.
Besides weddings, Jordan Almonds are used for other celebrations of live and love, such as anniversaries (gold for 50th, silver for 25th), pastel blue or pink for christenings, red for graduations, and green for engagements. As more and more colors become available, jordan almonds are appearing at all kinds of events!
So if you've ever questioned the significance of Jordan Almonds when you saw them displayed, then you won't have to wonder anymore.
Here are Bulk Candy store, we offer a wide selection of Jordan Almonds. Traditional white and assorted, along with colors like lavendar, yellow, green, blue and pink. We also feature sundae flaovred Jordan Almonds with flavors like Mint Chocolate Chip and Banana Split. Plus we now carry real Silver and Gold Jordan Almonds!\
Check out our entire selection of Jordan Almonds
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