Autumn in the valley is brief. The chinars turn along the roads, and for a few weeks the presses run.
Cold pressing yields less and takes considerably longer. It is the only method that preserves the aromatics — the reason an unheated almond oil carries the character of the nut, while a heated one carries only the character of oil.
Three oils, pressed from Mamra almond, Ladakhi apricot kernel and Kashmiri walnut. Each drawn from orchards worked by the same families across generations.
