Grown in northern and central Afghanistan, almonds in the Gurbandi family feature sweet flavor profiles with no bitter kernels, medium-soft shells, light color and a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Like all Afghan almonds Gurbandi varieties are grown naturally with no hybridization or manipulation to achieve uniformity (often at the expense of flavor); all products are sorted and graded by hand at the Ziba factory in Kabul. Gurbandi almonds contain high levels of Omega-3 and antioxidants. They are particularly popular in South Asia where they are typically sold as kernels and consumed raw.