What is Almond? the scientific name of the Almond is "Prunus Dulcis" which is a fruit of the deciduous tree. It is rich in calories and is enclosed with a brown hard shell. Brown's hard shell is removed first to make it ready to eat. there are two types of almonds . Sweet and bitter almonds are the two types of almonds. A bitter form of almond contains prussic acid which is a toxic substance. The prussic acid in its strained form is cyanide which is a deadly poison. Bitter almonds are processed to remove this harmful substance before they can be used.