The Jordan almond, an especially fine and tasty variety of almond, has nothing to do with either the country called Jordan or the river Jordan running through it. Instead, the Jordan of Jordan almond is a corruption of the French word jardin, meaning garden. Such sweet garden almonds are cultivated for use in pastries, while their wilder cousins—bitter almonds, which contain poisonous hydrocyanic acid—are crushed to produce oil. In turn, after the hydrocyanic acid is removed, this almond oil is used to make flavouring extracts.
The most superior almond cultivated in Malaga, Spain, is highly regarded for its suitability in processes such as salting, sugar coating, and more. The Valencia almond, the second most favored variety, comes next in popularity.