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"That which we call an apricot, by any other name would taste as sweet... " Some liberty has been taken with that quote, but not much actually. Our apricot is related to Shakespeare's rose, ( belonging to the family Rosaceae, as do the apricot's closer cousins the plum, the peach, the cherry, and the almond too!), and Juliette might even have envied the apricot's delicate complexion, or found its purported aphrodisiac qualities useful in her romantic pursuits. The apricot though, possesses gastronomical virtues not owned by Romeo's fair maiden, or by any other fruit for that matter.

The apricot finds its way to our orchards and backyards via a centuries long journey, beginning in China (where apricots are known as "Moons of the Faithful") around 3000 BC, then detouring through Armenia, Greece and other Mediterranean lands, until finally arriving in the New World with the Spanish settlers.

Along the way the apricot, both fresh and dried, became a favored ingredient in cuisines of Asia, Europe, Africa and eventually the farther continents of South and North America, and even Australia. Fresh apricots or apricot juice are superb not just in sweet deserts, but also in salad dressings, marinades and glazes for meat and fowl. Dried apricots can be used anywhere a recipe calls for raisins or dates salads, pasta, rice dishes, couscous and poultry or meat stuffings, for example.

Off the tree the apricot resembles a small peach; but don't be fooled by the light fuzz and golden peachy color - apricots are more closely related to plums. (The love child of the apricot and plum is called a Pluot.)

Like all of the stone fruits, raw apricots are rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium and fiber. 100 grams of raw apricots (about three apricots) has 38% of a days supply of vitamin A, 16% of vitamin C, 10% of potassium, and 2 grams of dietary fiber - all with just 48 calories, and no fat or cholesterol.

However, it's the nutritional punch of the dried fruit that sets the apricot apart nutritionally. Though it loses it's vitamin C in the drying process, the apricot's other nutrients become more concentrated, making the dried apricot an antioxidant packed power food. A 100 gram serving of dried apricots supplies 72% of vitamin A, 48% of potassium, 14% of iron, 14% of vitamin E, 5% of calcium, and 12% of niacin needed for one day (assuming a 2000 calorie/day diet), as well as some phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. These come with 241 calories, almost no fat and only 10mg sodium.

Fresh apricots are best purchased when they are still ever so slightly firm, so that they don't bruise on the journey home from the market. They should be a golden light orange color, and should almost seem to glow from the inside (like the faithful moon the Chinese describe?). Dull, bruised or brownish apricots have past their prime, and should be avoided. Once home, apricots can be ripened to perfection in a brown paper bag.

A bit of apricot trivia: Is there ever a circumstance when apricots should be shunned? Only if you happen to be driving a tank. In time of war, apricots, or even the mention of them, are considered bad luck. The reason behind this military superstition remains a bit of a mystery.

Thankfully though, for the rest of us, apricots offer no greater threat than a bounty of flavor and health benefits that we are free to enjoy with impunity.

Learn more about this author, Ysabel J. Doran.
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