Almonds are commonplace today; they are stirred into muesli in the morning and nibbled on in the bar with cocktails in the evening. Without marzipan, one would think of Lübeck much less often, as the city is the German Mecca of this confectionery, as Thomas Mann called it. In the Middle Ages, almonds were still the beautiful and very expensive exotics from the distant East, the caviar among nuts and seeds, and almond milk was the all-purpose weapon for enhancing countless dishes. The book contains numerous recipes, ranging from soups, meat and fish dishes to desserts and beverages. The almond is not only nutritious but also versatile—and the history of European almond recipes is occasionally curious.