I would roughly estimate that 1 out of every 50 almonds that I encounter is "bad." By this I mean that when I first bite into one, my mouth is immediately assaulted by a strong chemical taste, like amaretto gone wrong. The degree of badness differs greatly, with some being so bad as to be unswallowable, with others just leaving a mild aftertaste. But the particular bad flavor is always the same.

I'm curious if someone can explain what has happened to these almonds, and how safe they are to eat?

I usually try to spit them out, but sometimes that isn't convenient and I swallow them. On some of the more powerful ones, my windpipe involuntarily constricts, as if I were having an asthma attack. I used to have mild asthma, but have had 0 symptoms (other than almond induced) for 15 years.

I've encountered this with both raw and steamed almonds before, and can't tell that the culprits look any different from their standard brethren.

Thanks for any insight!