Apricots Prunus armeniaca Despite its botanical specific name, which would, on first glance, seem to place its origins in the Caucasus, the apricot actually originated in Northern China, probably the Tien-Shan region; the Assyrian and Babylonian name for it was armanu, which probably explains the armeniaca in its botanical name, rather than being any kind of geographical reference. Archeaologists believe that it may have been cultivated initially around 2,200BC, and in the great orchards of Mesopotamia, before spreading westwards through Persia and Asia Minor. Its use was spread by the Arabs, great lovers of fruit, who have long used mishmish, as they call it, along with other dried fruits in their dishes - especially, of course, in Mishmishiya, a traditional lamb and dried apricot stew. In Persia it was given the name Zard-alu, or yellow plum, a name which lives on today in the Parsee Indian dish of Jardaloo. The common name, apricot, is derived from the Roman name for the fruit, praecocium, or precocious, given for the quickness of its ripening. It seems to be generally agreed that the apricot was brought to England in 1524 by Thomas Walk, gardener to Henry VIII and was known throughout the Tudor and Elizabethan periods as the apricock. There are those who argue, however, that this must have been a re-introduction of the fruit, and that it must originally have been brought to our shores by the Romans, who prized it and, according to Pliny, were willing to pay handsome sums for it when it first appeared in Rome. One very strong argument against this theory may be that, as Britain was a far-flung and one of the least favoured of Rome dominions, the transport of such luxury items would have come quite far down the provisions list. Apicius, whose recipes seem to reflect ingredients used by the very highest strata within his society included a recipe for shoulder of pork with apricots in his collection. William Turner dubbed it “an hasty peach tree” in 1548 and by 1597 Gerard, the famous herbalist, noted that he had been able to grow the tree in his garden in Holborn. Nowadays serious ‘foodies’ insist that the best dried apricots are the sun-dried Hunza variety, which come from the eponymous small kingdom in north-western Kashmir, and which are reputed to be responsible for the extreme longevity of the Hunza people. Chinese healers believe that apricots make a potent energy tonic and that they can also be used in the diet to suppress coughs and relieve asthma. Ironically, because of the sulphur dioxide that is sometimes used in drying, modern medical advice is for asthmatics to steer well clear of dried apricots, as the sulphites can trigger asthmatic attacks. Nutritionally, the apricot is a little powerhouse. It is full of beta-carotene, the vegetable form of vitamin A - just three small, fresh apricots contain 2,770IU of beta-carotene, more than 50% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), for just 50 calories. The drying process only makes the fruit even more nutritious, although it does boost its calories content: 75g of dried apricots is equal to 165 kcalories. To balance this, however, the same amount contains a whole day’s supply of beta-carotene - nearly 100 times the amount of vitamin A found in other fruit. It is also a good source of boron, potassium and an impressive 20% of RDA for iron, which is essential in the formation of red blood cells and in fighting fatigue. In fact, dried apricot, along with other dried fruits, are recommended for those on a vegetarian or vegan diet as an important source of non-animal iron. Beta-carotene is a powerful anti-oxidant, which prevents plaque deposits building up in the arteries. Boron is now thought to help in the prevention of osteoporosis, by helping post-menopausal women retain their oestrogen, which helps in the absorption of calcium. Potassium helps to maintain body fluid balance, normalising blood pressure and heart function. Dried apricots are also higher in fibre than fresh, the soluble fibre helping to relieve chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis and disorders of the gut. Both types contain no sodium or fats. In addition to all the nutrients found in the fruit, apricot is also low on the Glycaemic Index - the scale invented to help in the treatment of diabetes, which is used to measure the rate at which blood sugar levels rise when a particular carbohydrate bearing food is ingested. Low level GI foods are more complex and hence digested more slowly, ensuring a longer feeling of satiety, longer term energy maintenance and keeping blood sugar levels constant. Fresh apricots have a GI of 57 and dried 30. No accident, then, that dried apricots were a natural choice for NASA when choosing compact, lightweight, high-output foods for their astronauts. One adverse note on dried apricots may be that sulphites are often added to the fruit during the drying process to maintain a lighter colour and preserve their beta-carotene content. Certain groups, notably asthmatics are allergic to this and they can cause a severe reaction. Fresh apricots too, also have their darker side; their kernels contain prussic acid, cumulatively poisonous, which hasn’t stopped Man, ever contrary by nature, roasting out the poison and turning them into alcoholic beverages, such as the eau de noyeaux liqueur.