Think of green almonds as nuts interrupted, harvested before the shells have hardened and the nuts have fully formed. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures have long enjoyed them in their fuzzy green state, with their grassy, vegetal flavor and unripe crunch; here, not so much. But Public chef Brad Farmerie is a devoted fan of the spring delicacy’s natural acidity and raw texture, which he highlights in this exceedingly simple riff on the Southeast Asian street snack, green mango with chili salt. --Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili mix, available at Sunrise Mart)
3 tablespoons light olive oil
1 dozen green almonds, washed (available at Fairway)

Instructions

(1) Combine the sugar, salt, and shichimi togarashi in a small serving vessel and mix well. (2) Place the oil in a separate bowl. (3) Dip the green almonds first in the oil, then in the chili-salt mix. (Published 2007)