Citation: Massantini, R.; Frangipane, M.T. Progress in Almond Quality and Sensory Assessment: An Overview. Agriculture 2022, 12, 710. https:// doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050710 Academic Editor: Giacomo Cocetta Received: 12 April 2022 Accepted: 16 May 2022 Published: 17 May 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). agriculture Review Progress in Almond Quality and Sensory Assessment: An Overview Riccardo Massantini and Maria Teresa Frangipane * Department for Innovation in Biological, Agri-Food and Forestry Systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; massanti@unitus.it * Correspondence: mtfrangi@unitus.it Abstract: World production of shelled almonds has reached 3.2 million tonnes (FAO 2020). Almond production has grown during the last decennium, also because of the consumer conviction that almonds have significant health benefits. Almonds have exceptional nutritional and organoleptic characteristics, and proper assessment of the quality of almonds is of utmost importance. Almonds have a nutritional value that is relatively low in total sugars (4.35 g/100 g of almonds) but rich in lipids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients, making them a healthy and nutritious food. The almond kernel is particularly rich in protein, the second most important fraction after the lipid fraction. The protein content of almond kernel depends on the cultivar and varies from 8.4% to 35.1%. This review examines current advancements in the quality assessment of almonds, evidencing above all their nutritional characteristics, health benefits and the influence of processing on shelf life. Our aim was to provide an overview in order to improve the quality of almonds and the sustainability of the whole production. According to the literature, almonds can provide many health benefits and are a great economic resource. This review will help almond producers to choose the best cultivars to cultivate and, in the final analysis, enhance the qualitative characteristics of almonds. Our review is also an important resource for scientists. It provides state of the art research and can offer inspiration for other researchers. Keywords: almond; quality; antioxidants; chemical composition; sensory analysis 1. Introduction The almond tree (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) is a species of tree included in the subgenus Amygdalus [1]. The almond tree is a member of the genus Prunus L. within the family Rosaceae, native to south-central Asia and cultivated in Mediterranean-type climates [2]. In addition to commercially cultivated almonds, there are about 30 species of wild almonds that are generally more bitter than the cultivated varieties [3]. The origin of the almond occurred ~5.88 million years ago [4]. Almond trees were originally planted as genetically diverse orchards represented mainly by bitter seedlings. Subsequently, [5] a genetic mutation controlling the sweetness of the kernel was discovered, allowing the domestication of almond as a food crop. The cultivated sweet almond Prunus dulcis (Figure 1) was likely selected from prehistoric populations by interspecific hybridization for their more desirable taste [6], and recently, redomesticated almond germplasm has been identified to improve nutritional qualities and food safety [7]. Almonds were one of the first domesticated fruit trees. As early as the Early Bronze Age (3000–2000 BC), domesticated almonds appeared in archaeological sites in Numeira (Jordan) [8]. Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt (ca. 1325 BC) is another. Almond Lifecycle: November through January: almond trees go through a period of dormancy, losing their leaves. Between mid-February and mid-March: almond trees have flowering with white and light-pink blooms. Agriculture 2022, 12, 710. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050710 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agriculture