A Buyer’s Guide to California Almond Varieties

California grows more than 30 commercial almond varieties, though only a handful of classification types come up in most sourcing conversations. Each type carries its own kernel shape, skin, flavor, and price, and those differences decide how an almond performs once it is sliced onto a bar, ground into butter, or roasted and salted for a snack. Nonpareil almonds are the most widely planted variety in the state and the one other almonds are priced against. Knowing how the types differ, and working with an almond ingredients supplier that can match a variety to your application, keeps a spec from defaulting to whatever is easiest to buy.

How California Almonds Are Classified

Growers and processors sort California’s varieties into a small set of classification types, and most buying conversations use those types as shorthand before getting into individual varieties.

Classification	Representative varieties	Kernel character	Skin & blanching	Common applications
Nonpareil	Nonpareil, Independence, Sonora, Supareil	Flat, smooth, uniform	Light skin, blanches cleanly	Visible toppings, slices, slivers, inclusions
Carmel	Carmel, Monterey, Shasta, Wood Colony	Medium, elongated	Light skin, blanches well	Diced inclusions, roasted and salted lines
California	Aldrich, Avalon, Butte, Fritz, Padre, Price	Variable, often firmer	Darker, textured skin	Roasted, seasoned, ground applications
Mission	Mission	Small, plump, rounded	Dark, wrinkled, resists blanching	Seasoned snacks, flavor-forward roasts

A few varieties, such as Mono, trade without a set classification type.

One reason a California processor handles several of these at once comes down to pollination. Most almond trees are not self-fertile, so a Nonpareil orchard is interplanted with a pollinizer from another type, often a Carmel or Mission variety that blooms at the same time. Growing them side by side means they are harvested and processed side by side, which is why a single processor can offer a spread of varieties rather than just one.

California grows around 80 percent of the world’s almonds, which makes it the largest almond producer by a wide margin and the origin of nearly every almond in a U.S. formulation.

Nonpareil Almonds and How the Market Prices Them

Nonpareil makes up roughly 40 percent of the California crop. Because it is the most-traded variety, its price sets the reference every other almond is quoted against, at either a discount or a premium. The kernel is medium-sized, flat, and uniform, with a smooth surface, light blond skin, and a thin shell. Those traits let it blanch and cut into clean slices, slivers, and dice without breaking up. Blanching, the step that slips the skin off in hot water to leave a pale kernel, works most cleanly on a smooth Nonpareil skin, which is part of why the type dominates any application where the almond is on display.

The type covers four varieties with small differences between them:

Nonpareil is the standard flat, smooth, light kernel the type is named for.
Sonora runs longer and narrower than Nonpareil.
Supareil is valued for an especially clean blanch.
Independence is self-pollinating, so growers can plant it without a separate pollinizer.

Nonpareil is most valuable when the almond is seen, as a slice or topping on pastries, bars, and desserts, because its pale color and even shape read well and cut cleanly.

Carmel Type Almonds for Everyday Processing

Carmel anchors the versatile middle of the range. The kernel is medium-sized, elongated, and light-colored, and its flavor is often rated among the sweetest of the California-grown almonds. The type blanches cleanly and takes to most processes, which makes it the practical pick whenever a product slices, dices, or roasts the almond without needing the exact uniformity of Nonpareil.

The member varieties differ mainly in size and oil content:

Carmel is the medium, elongated, sweet-flavored standard of the type.
Monterey runs to larger kernels with higher oil content that browns well under roasting and carries flavor in butters and pastes.
Shasta and Wood Colony fill out the type as reliable, light-skinned processing almonds.

For a diced inclusion or a roasted, salted line, Carmel delivers most of what Nonpareil offers at a lower cost, without the premium you would pay for looks the product does not need.

California and Mission Type Almonds for Seasoned Products

The California type is the broadest group and takes in varieties that vary more in size, shape, and skin color. Their skins run darker and more textured than the lighter types, and that texture becomes an advantage wherever flavor has to stick, since salt, oil, and seasoning cling to a rougher surface far better than to a smooth one. Mission, in its own single-variety type, carries the trait to its limit with a small, plump, rounded kernel and a dark, wrinkled skin that resists blanching altogether.

The varieties most often specified for seasoned and ground work include:

Butte and Padre are grown and harvested together as a pollinator pair, so they frequently move through processing as a blend.
Aldrich, Avalon, Fritz, and Price round out the California type across a range of sizes and firmer shells.
Mission offers the darkest, most textured skin, best suited to roasted-and-salted snacks and heavily seasoned almonds where a coating needs to hold and a rustic look suits the product.

How to Match Almond Size and Grade to Your Product

Variety settles the character of the almond, but size and grade settle how it costs and how it runs. Both are specified separately from the variety, and getting them right is often where a formula controls cost without changing the result.

Size is written as a count, meaning the number of kernels in an ounce:

A lower count is a larger kernel, so an 18/20 runs large and a 30/32 runs small.
Visible applications, like a whole almond on a bar, call for a tight size range to keep a consistent look.
Ground applications gain nothing from a particular size, so price should lead the choice.

Grade describes appearance and how many defects are allowed:

Whole natural kernels run from Fancy down through grades such as Extra No. 1 and Select Sheller Run.
Broken and diced pieces carry their own grades and cost less than whole kernels.
A product that chops or grinds the almond can usually drop to a lower grade or to pieces, since chips and minor blemishes vanish once the almond is processed.

Weighing whole almonds by size and grade against what the finished product actually shows, rather than reaching for the highest available spec by habit, is the simplest lever for keeping ingredient cost in line.

Sourcing Multiple Almond Varieties From One Supplier

Few products live on a single almond. One line might pair a Nonpareil-type sliced topping, a Carmel-type diced inclusion, and a California-type seasoned almond across its SKUs. Sourced from separate suppliers, each variety arrives with its own minimum, lead time, and paperwork.

Pulling those varieties from one California grower-processor takes that overhead off the table. At JSS Almonds, we process a wide range of the state’s varieties, including Nonpareil, Sonora, Shasta, Carmel, Padre, Mission, and Mono, out of a single Bakersfield facility, with small minimum order quantities and flexible run sizes suited to brands that order by the pallet rather than the container. Most of the California crop is sold into export markets, which can tighten what is available domestically. Our grower-aligned supply, spanning more than 15,000 acres of owner-partner orchards, gives a smaller brand steadier access to a range of wholesale nuts than a trading desk can, and keeps pricing clear of import tariffs.

Choosing the Right Almond Variety for Your Next Product

The right almond comes down to what it does once it is in the formula, and a supplier who knows the full range makes that decision easier to get right. JSS Almonds processes California’s varieties across every size and grade, and our minimum order quantities stay small enough that a pilot run and a national program draw from the same selection. Our catalog reaches past the kernel to whole almonds, a broader range of wholesale nuts, and custom nut butters, all from the same Bakersfield facility and the same California orchards. Contact our specialists with what you are building, and we will match the variety, size, and grade to fit it, then keep the rest of your almond and nut sourcing under one roof.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Nonpareil almonds best used for?

Nonpareil almonds are the top choice when the nut is visible in the finished product. Their uniform, flat, light-colored kernels blanch cleanly and cut into consistent slices and slivers, which suits toppings, garnishes, and premium inclusions. Because they carry a price premium, they are often more than a ground or hidden application needs.

What is the difference between Nonpareil and Mission almonds?

Nonpareil almonds have smooth, light skin and a uniform, flat kernel that blanches and slices well. Mission almonds have a smaller, plumper kernel with dark, wrinkled skin that resists blanching but holds salt and seasoning better. Nonpareil fits visible products, while Mission fits seasoned and roasted ones.

How do I know which almond variety to specify for my product?

Start with what the almond does in the formula. A visible almond points to a Nonpareil type for appearance. A ground almond makes size and cosmetic grade largely irrelevant, so price should lead. A seasoned or coated almond favors a California or Mission type, where the textured skin holds flavor.

What do almond size counts like 23/25 mean?

Almond size is the number of kernels per ounce, so a 23/25 count means about 23 to 25 kernels make up an ounce. A lower count number means a larger kernel. Buyers choose a size range to match the appearance and function of the product, and can request a customer-specified range.

Does JSS Almonds offer more than one almond variety?

Yes. We process a wide selection of California varieties at JSS Almonds, including Nonpareil, Sonora, Shasta, Carmel, Padre, Mission, and Mono, from a single Bakersfield facility. Low minimum order quantities and flexible run sizes let small and growing brands source several varieties through one relationship.