Marcona Almonds

I've always thought that all almonds were the same shape, and moreover, i believed that "Marcona" was simply a more expensive Spanish brand of almonds.  I found out today that I was totally wrong on both counts.  My cousin Cliff gave us a bottle of Marcona almonds, and the first thing I noticed was that the nuts were slightly smaller than regular almonds, were much flatter, and had a rounder shape too.  After checking the internet, I found out that the Marcona is a type of almonds primarily grown in Spain--not a manufacturer's brand.  We opened the bottle today and the nuts were much softer and easier to chew than regular almonds.  Great for a mid-day snack!