Abstract

ARRAZOLA-PATERNINA, Guillermo S; ALVIS-BERMUDEZ, Armando  and  HERAZO-CAMACHO, Irina C. Technological benefits of Indian almond (Terminalia catappa L ) for the production of foodstuffs. Orinoquia [online]. 2015, vol.19, n.1, pp.27-34. ISSN 0121-3709.

The West Indian almond tree (Terminalia catappa L.) produces dry fruit (a drupe, not a nut) whose seed contains nutrients such as proteins and fats, similar to other varieties of almonds having greater demand on the market; this means that it can be used in industrial exploitation and as a nutritional alternative. This work was aimed at technologically exploiting West Indian almond fruit by obtaining flour for making cakes and obtaining candied almonds. The seed was extracted from the almond for preparing different products; it was then used in unit operations such as roasting and grinding, to obtain the flour for making cakes according to traditional recipes, 40% of wheat flour being substituted by almond flour. Preparing candied almonds involved toasting the almonds and covering them with syrup and food additives. The aforementioned products were then compared to controls or commercial products and sensory testing/tasting was evaluated. The organoleptic and sensory results showed that the candied almonds and almond flour cakes were well accepted by people consuming these products, thereby representing an alternative for use in the food industry, providing a significant source of nutrients, taste and pleasant aroma; however, there were significant differences regarding the controls in terms of sensory perception, meaning that positive alternatives could be presented, such as the results of tests with tasters by optimising the formulations used and standardising processes.

Keywords : Almond flour; candied almonds; West Indian almonds; wheat flour; almond pastry.

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