Most people only get to eat Jordan almonds at weddings and, therefore, associate the two. Some folks would prefer to eat them more often though. We have some customers at the store who look for any excuse to serve their guests Jordan almonds. They buy them for baby showers, bridal showers or even a sweet treat for a dinner party that happens to color coordinate with their linens. However, my wife, Melissa, is not the biggest fan. She prefers our celebration! almonds to Jordan almonds. Her favorites at the store almost always involve milk chocolate covered nuts, but the celebration! almonds are her semi-sweet exception. She thinks that everything can be improved with chocolate, even a classic like Jordan almonds.
As a wedding treat, Jordan almonds have meaning. Plain almonds have a slightly bittersweet flavor to them. This is supposed to show how life, especially married life, can be both bitter and sweet. Apparently, the extra sugar coating is a wish for the married couple’s new life to be more sweet than bitter. It is also said that if a woman puts a bag of Jordan almonds under her pillow at night, she’ll dream of the man she’s going to marry.
You probably have not noticed that Jordan almonds are usually served in odd numbers at weddings. It is an Italian custom that the five almonds are five wishes for the couple: health, wealth, happiness, fertility and longevity. In Middle Eastern cultures, almonds are considered aphrodisiacs, so the fertility thing makes sense. In Greek culture, the odd number of Jordan almonds is symbolic. Since odd numbers can’t be evenly divided, the serving is supposed to show how the newlyweds will share everything and never separate. Martha Stewart would also tell you that odd numbers of items, whether in home decor, floral arrangements or party favors, are more visually appealing than even numbered ones.
I don’t know if any of this is true or not, but people like them. And if you’re looking to entertain guests, their happiness is what matters in the end.