Like most ingredients in the nuts category, almond pricing and application depend on origin, variety, and size. Knowing about almond varieties, types, sizes, and trade terms is important for making good sourcing choices. This guide explains the basics, including common codes like NPX and CMS, and how size affects use and pricing. Whether you are buying for stores, processing, or exporting, here is what you should understand.
As per the Almond Board in The United States: California almond varieties are categorized into five broad classifications based on distinguishing characteristics such as size and shape. Approximately 90 percent of almond production in California falls into the following three major classifications: Nonpareil, California, and Mission. Within those classifications there are over 30 almond varieties, many of which are grown in California. The numerous almond varieties differ in flavor, texture, shape, and application, making some better suited to specific culinary uses.
California supplies roughly 65% of global production, while Spain's Marcona variety has a significantly higher price for confectionery applications. In addition, origin can be the decisive factor in both price and food safety documentation.
California is the top producer of almonds in the world. They grow many types of almonds for different uses like snacking, baking, and cooking. Each variety has special features such as size, shape, shell hardness, and taste. The most popular California Almond varieties come from the following almond tree varieties: Butte, Carmel, Fritz, Independence, Mission, Monterey, Nonpareil, Padre, Price, Sonora, and Wood Colony.
For most food ingredients, origin is a label detail. For almonds, it changes the purchase in four concrete ways: price, pesticide risk profile, supply seasonality, and label positioning. The three commercially significant origins for European food manufacturers are California, Spain, and Australia.
| Origin | Primary varieties | World supply % | Harvest | Typical use |
| California (USA) | Nonpareil, Carmel, Butte, Padre | ~65% | Aug-Oct | Industrial processing, blanching, slicing, almond flour |
| Spain | Marcona, Largueta, Planeta | ~5-7% | Sep-Nov | Confectionery, premium snacking, marzipan, high-end retail |
| Australia | Nonpareil, Carmel (same Californian varieties) | ~7-8% | Feb-Apr | Alternative supply window, similar specs to California |
California supplies roughly 65% of the world's almonds, making it the default origin for most industrial applications. Californian Nonpareil is the reference grade for blanched almonds, sliced almonds, almond flour, and almond butter globally. The supply is large, the specification is consistent, and most certified Californian processors hold BRC or SQF certification with established EU export procedures.
The procurement risk to monitor is California's recurring drought exposure. Almond trees are water-intensive, each almond requires approximately 4 litres of water to produce, and California's Central Valley depends on a combination of snowmelt and groundwater that has been under stress since 2012. Drought years correlate directly with price spikes: the 2014-2015 California drought pushed Nonpareil prices up by approximately 40% in 18 months. Building a secondary supplier relationship (with Spanish or Australian origin) is a standard risk mitigation strategy for buyers dependent on Californian volume.
One thing worth knowing from a trading perspective: California operates an annual crop auction model where large buyers and traders commit to volume at the start of the season (typically July-August) before harvest is complete. Buyers who wait until October for a spot price often pay more. If California almonds are a significant line item in your procurement budget, discussing forward commitments with your supplier in Q3 is standard practice.
Spanish Marcona is the most commercially distinct almond origin. The Marcona variety (round, flat, and higher in fat than Californian varieties) has a buttery flavour profile that makes it irreplaceable in premium confectionery, gianduja-style nut pastes, and high-end retail snack formats. It is the almond of choice for Spanish turron, Italian torrone, and most artisanal marzipan manufacturers.
Marcona is around 40-60% more expensive than Californian Nonpareil at comparable sizes. For buyers who can specify it on a label or demonstrate it in a product, that premium is justified. For buyers using almonds purely as a processed ingredient where flavour differentation is lost, it is not.
From a food safety documentation perspective, Spanish almonds present a lower pesticide residue risk profile than Californian almonds. California uses propylene oxide (PPO) treatment as a pasteurisation method, a treatment that is not permitted in the EU, though the residues in finished product are within EU MRL limits. For buyers supplying organic-positioned products or natural food brands with clean-label positioning, Spanish or Australian origin avoids the PPO question entirely.
Australian almonds (harvested February-April in the Southern Hemisphere) serve a specific supply-chain function: they provide certified volume during the window when Californian new-crop almonds are not yet available and the previous season's stock may be depleted. Australian varieties are predominantly the same Californian cultivars (Nonpareil, Carmel) grown under licence, with comparable specifications.
Australia's food safety export infrastructure for almonds is well-developed, with AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) oversight and BRC-certified processors supplying the EU market. The main commercial limitation is scale: Australian production is approximately one-tenth of California's, which means supply is tighter and spot availability between seasons is limited.
Almond types usually talk about how almonds are processed and prepared after they are harvested. This is different from varieties, which are about the specific kinds of almonds, like Nonpareil or Carmel. In trade and food production, the most common types of almonds are:
Not all almonds have the same taste, and not all of them are safe to eat. Sweet almonds are the type most people eat as snacks or use in baking. Bitter almonds are different; they are mostly used to extract flavors and need special care. It is important for anyone who works with almond products to know the difference between these two types:
Almond sizes tell us how many almonds fit in one ounce. This helps decide the price, packaging, and how the almonds will be used. Sizes are often labeled with numbers like 18/20, 20/22, or 23/25. The numbers show how many whole almonds are in one ounce. A lower number means a larger almond.
The size of almonds is important based on how they will be used and marketed:
Suppliers on Nutrada list bulk almonds from Californian, Spanish, and Australian origins. You can easily filter by origin, certification, and processing form.
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