Marcona almonds are very large almonds grown along the Mediterranean coast of Spain from Málaga to Tarragona.Compared to regular almonds marcona almonds are flatter, paler and more disk shaped. They are also softer, though the shell that contains them before they are processed is very hard.
Marcona almonds are sold in jars, either just blanched, or blanched and fried and sprinkled with sea salt. These can be used in salads, as a snack, or as an accompaniment to cheeses.
A “raw” version of marcona almonds is also available, for use in cooking and baking — though raw here means blanched, skinned or roasted.