Explorers discovered almonds along the route of the Silk Road… Almond trees then spread along the shores of the Mediterranean, especially in Italy and Spain. They were later established in California during the 18th century. During the 1970s, researchers developed the main varieties grown today in the United States (Non-pareil, Carmel, Monterey etc.).

Sugared almonds in little tulle bags are often given to guests at weddings and christenings to symbolise happiness, good health and prosperity.

Almond trees grow to a height of 6 to 8 metres. The trees are very sensitive to cold and are therefore cultivated in temperate regions.
There are two types of almond trees: the pink-flowered varieties produce bitter almonds (for making pastries), and the white-flowered varieties produce sweet almonds that are eaten fresh or dried.
Since almond trees do not self-pollinate, male trees are planted at regular intervals so that bees can pollinate the flowers more easily.
The fruit is covered by a green drupe, which bursts when ripe. The core contains a kernel covered with a thin brown tegument.

The main producers of almonds are the United States, Spain and France. The United States provides 80% of the world’s production, it is their seventh most exported product.
Menguy’s selects its almonds in California, Argentina, Spain and Portugal from producers committed to consistent and impeccable seed quality.

Native to the mountain valleys of Mexico, teosinte was gradually domesticated to become corn. It took humans nearly 7,000 years to select varieties of this very popular tropical plant that would be suited to growing in temperate climates. Thus, when the Europeans landed in America in the 15th century, corn was already being grown throughout the continent. They then exported it and began farming it in Europe and Africa, then later on in Asia too. Today, China is the world’s second largest producer and France is the biggest producer in Europe!

The crop captures four times more carbon from the air than a forest with the same surface area! Corn is a spring crop. In France, the cereal is sown in April-May and harvested between September and November. The plant has the distinctive characteristic of being able to reach two to four metres in height! It doesn’t require a great deal of water, but does need a regular supply to ensure that the ears swell.

Today, there are many varieties of corn. 4,000 are authorised in Europe!

Corn truly is a multi-purpose plant rich in starch. Of course, it can be eaten by humans in the form of popcorn, sweetcorn or flour, but corn is also widely used in animal feed, constituting one of the mainstays of our herds’ feed ration.

However, this plant is now also used to make bioethanol and recyclable packaging.

When you heat a corn kernel, you cause the water within the kernel to boil. The grain’s tegument (or skin) being very tough, it will prevent the steam from escaping immediately and will cause a rise in pressure inside the grain  which is mostly composed of starch. As with a pressure cooker, this hot pressure will cook the starch until the tegument splits, releasing the steam and at the same time “expanding” the cooked starch. Not just any corn will do: you have to select a variety which is rich in starch, ensure good water content at harvest, and have a tegument which is tough, but not too tough.

At Menguy’s, our French corn is rigorously selected and guaranteed GMO-free.

The olive tree originated in the Middle East. Its fruit has been a staple of the diet of Mediterranean peoples since ancient times. Its branch is a symbol of victory and peace.
The cultivation of olives in France was well established but declined steeply in favour of vines. Today, only a limited number of olive groves remain in France, however, they are distinguished by their variety and quality.

Olive trees are very vigorous, they measure 10 to 15 metres in height and produces an average of 15 kg of fruit per year.
They blossom between April and May. The olives are picked by hand in the autumn to avoid any damage to the fruit. There are three grades of ripeness at picking: green, turning, and black.
The harvested olives first undergo a debittering treatment: they are rinsed and left to soak for several days in frequently changed water. Then, they are immersed and preserved in brine, a mixture of salt and water.
When they are prepared in Frontignan, they are desalted and flavoured (with vegetables, spices, herbs etc.) before packaging.

The cultivation of olive trees is 98% concentrated around the Mediterranean basin. However, olive trees can be found in other parts of the world such as California, South Africa, Australia and Argentina. Currently, Spain remains the main olive-producing country in the world.
Our Menguy’s olive explorers-pickers have selected their suppliers in Spain, Greece and Morocco, for the varieties grown there and for their quality: Beldi, Manzanilla, Coquillos. They are picked at the chosen degree of ripeness and have a natural colour.

Originating in the Middle East, eating pistachios was long the preserve of royal dynasties.
Pistachios were imported by the Americans in the 1880s, and cultivated in California.
Pistachios quickly became a popular snack in the United States, but it wasn’t until 1976 that they were fully exploited there.

The pistachio is a typical tree in regions with arid soil, and can withstand light frosts as well as drought and high temperatures. The yield of a pistachio tree is 20 kg of fruit per plant every other year and its full production period is 40 years.
Its fruit differs from other nuts because of its half-open shell. That’s why it’s called the “smiling pistachio” in Iran and the “happy nut” in China.
Pistachios ripen in September, their pericarp is easily detached and their colour becomes lighter. That’s how the harvest time is determined.

Every year, the worldwide production of pistachios is about 450,000 tonnes. Iran and the United States are now the two main producers.

Menguy’s selected Californian pistachios, picked at maturity by committed producers.

The cashew tree is native to northern Brazil. Four centuries ago, Portuguese settlers brought the nuts to Cochin, which was then the commercial capital of Kerala province in India. The production of shelled nuts would remain an Indian speciality for a long time.

The cashew tree can reach up to 15 metres in height. It can live for 50 to 60 years.
It blooms twice a year and the fruits ripen over two months. After flowering, the pink flowers turn into a double fruit:

• the cashew apple on the one hand, juicy and edible in the shape of an apple.
• the cashew nut, on the other hand, located under the cashew apple; it is formed by a shell and a kernel.

Once ripe, the fruits are harvested by hand and then dried in the sun on large cement slabs.
The shell is softened in a steam bath, a manual press and then baked in an oven. The cashew nuts are finally shelled.

Menguy’s has been building strong ties with the producers of Kerala for 30 years to select the best cashew nuts.
Nevertheless, new countries have embarked on this form of farming.
Since 2014, Menguy’s has been participating in community work in Madagascar, training Malagasy farmers in cashew tree cultivation. It then undertakes to acquire their entire cashew production.

The peanut was discovered during the conquest of the New World and was brought back to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors.
Over the centuries, its cultivation spread to Asia, Africa and North America.
The nut is popular all over the world, but it is also grown for the production of peanut oil and peanut butter.

The peanut plant resembles the potato plant: a small yellow flower emerges between the stem and the leaves and buries itself under the ground. A shell is then formed which will contain the fruits: the peanuts.
The harvest extends from April to September depending on the region.
Once the peanuts are ripe, the plants are turned over and left to dry for 2 to 3 days in the field.
Next, the dried plants are collected and sorted to separate the peanuts and the leaves.

Our buyers/explorers regularly travel the entire world to select the best sources. They have selected quality producers in Argentina and the United States, with whom they have established excellent commercial relationships.

That’s why, at Menguy’s our peanuts
are always delicious!