Apricots are grown mainly in central Asia and around the Mediterranean. With a maximum height of twelve metres, they are considered small trees, which blossom very early on in the season. The fruit of the tree are also called apricots. They are yellow to orange coloured fruits that look quite like small peaches. Their taste can range from sweet to tart and they have firm, not very juicy flesh.

Dried apricots are considered a type of traditional dried fruit. Their colour ranges from vivid orange to brownish – depending on the method of drying. The bright orange fruits are treated with sulphur, the darker types, with a coarser texture, are natural fruits.

Dried apricots have been a popular fruit for ages, thanks mainly to their long shelf life. Apricots are originally from China but became widespread throughout the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian Empires. The fruit arrived in Europe via Armenia, which is why their scientific name is Prunus armenaica. After the Spanish brought dried apricots to America, California became the world’s largest producer. Nowadays, most dried apricots are from Turkey, where about 95 per cent of the production is provided by the Malatya Province.

The drying process degrades a fruit’s content of water-soluble and heat-sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C, yet other nutrients become more concentrated. As a result, dried apricots contain higher levels of most nutrients per gram than fresh ones. Dried apricots are an important source of carotenoids and other antioxidants, vitamin A and potassium. Dried apricots normally do not have any sugar added. Dried apricots are typically used in middle-eastern cuisine.