Apricot
Scientific Name: Prunus
Family Name: Rosaceae
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Contrary to what the Latin scientific name, Prunus armeniaca, might suggest, the apricot is not originally from Armenia. This region was only a stage in the long journey from the Far East. The apricot has been found in China as a wild plant for at least four thousand years, and although it has been recently observed in a wild form in Turkestan, Tien-Shan is considered to be the first Chinese place of origin. Alexander the Great is believed to have introduced the apricot to the Greco-Roman world, as well as the peach. A variety remarkable for its size was found growing in Armenia in great quantities, and was called by the name of the region itself, Armenian peach. However, it was the Arabs who spread the cultivation of the apricot throughout the Mediterranean, although it was not until the fifteenth century that it became popular in Europe. Only in the eighteenth century did the plant become part of the cultivated flora of the United States and South Africa. Today the apricot is recognized, in its many varieties, as an excellent fruit, especially because of its vitamin content and mineral salts. despite the sweetness of the flesh, the usable sugars do not go over 6-7%. The level of potassium, however, is high. It is essential to eat this fruit when it is fully ripe in order to get the most out of its high content of vitamin A, which is a hundred times more than the average amount contained in other fruits. Vitamin A helps the body to combat infection and plays an important role in guarding against night blindness. Important cultivars of the apricot are Blenheim, Tilton, Early Montgamet and Wenatchee Moorpark. The famous and particularly succulent musk apricot grows in Spain, the south of France and North Africa. Apricots have traditionally been used to make excellent preserves and confectionery. However, the use of dried apricots is surprisingly recent. The commercially preferred varieties for drying come from North Africa and California. Syria exports to many markets, especially in /Germany, a typical paste made with apricots dried in the sun and lightly wrapped in long canvas strips. In the United States canned apricots preserved in syrup have become increasingly popular. In England, apricots are also used to make apricot wine, and are distilled to make a liqueur-brandy. In the Auvergne in France, apricots are made into a special jam which is exported all over the world, and are one of the most utilized fruits in that country in confectionery and pastry-making. Some people eat the kernels found inside apricot stones. This could lead to serious poisoning if the bitter varieties are chewed over a period of time. The poisonous compound is amygdalin, which upon hydrolysis releases hydrogen cyanide. In eastern countries the apricot is known by the beautiful name of "Moon of the Faithful." [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]