Dried apricots are dried fruit of the apricot tree.
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Apricots have been cultivated in Central Asia since antiquity, and dried ones were an important commodity on the Silk Road. They could be transported over huge distances due to their long shelf life. Before the 20th century, they were ubiquitous in the Ottoman, Persian, and Russian Empires.[ citation needed ]
In more recent times, California was the largest producer, before being overtaken by Turkey, [1] where about 95% of the dried apricot production is provided by the Malatya Province. [2]
Small apricots are normally dried whole. Larger varieties are dried in halves, without the kernel or stone. Mediterranean or Turkish varieties of dried apricots are typically dried whole and then pitted, whereas California varieties are halved and pitted before drying. [3]
In the countries of the former Soviet Union, the small ones, dried as a whole are known as uryuk (урюк), [4] and the larger ones, dried cut in halves, are known as kuraga (курага). [5] Apricots, dried as wholes, with pits removed through the hole where the stalk is attached are called kaysa/qaysa (кайса). [6] "Kaysa" is from Turkish kayısı, appricot (which in its turn comes from Arabic),
When treated with sulfur dioxide, the color is vivid orange. Organic fruit not treated with sulfur vapor is darker in color and has a coarser texture. [7] Generally, the lighter the color, the higher the SO2 content.
