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DISPONIBILI
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ARTICLES IN THE BOOK

  1. Almond
  2. Anise
  3. Apple
  4. Apricot
  5. Asparagus
  6. Aubergine
  7. Avocado
  8. Azuki bean
  9. Bamboo shoot
  10. Barley
  11. Basil
  12. Beet
  13. Bell pepper
  14. Blackberry
  15. Black-eyed pea
  16. Black pepper
  17. Black salsify
  18. Blueberry
  19. Bran
  20. Brazilnut
  21. Breadfruit
  22. Broccoli
  23. Brussels sprout
  24. Bulgur
  25. Capsicum
  26. Carambola
  27. Caraway
  28. Cardamom
  29. Carrot
  30. Cashew
  31. Cauliflower
  32. Celery
  33. Cereal
  34. Cherry
  35. Chestnut
  36. Chickpea
  37. Chile pepper
  38. Citron
  39. Clementine
  40. Cocoa
  41. Coconut
  42. Coffee
  43. Coriander
  44. Couscous
  45. Cranberry
  46. Cucumber
  47. Cumin
  48. Date
  49. Dill
  50. Fennel
  51. Fenugreek
  52. Fig
  53. Garden cress
  54. Garlic
  55. Ginger
  56. Ginseng
  57. Globe Artichoke
  58. Gooseberry
  59. Grape
  60. Grapefruit
  61. Greengage
  62. Guava
  63. Haricot bean
  64. Hazelnut
  65. Juniper
  66. Kentucky coffeetree
  67. Khaki
  68. Kiwifruit
  69. Kumquat
  70. Leek
  71. Legume
  72. Lemon
  73. Lentil
  74. Lettuce
  75. Liquorice
  76. Lupin
  77. Lychee
  78. Macadamia
  79. Maize
  80. Mandarin
  81. Marjoram
  82. Melon
  83. Mentha
  84. Millet
  85. Mustard seed
  86. Nutmeg
  87. Oat
  88. Olive
  89. Onion
  90. Opium poppy
  91. Orange
  92. Oregano
  93. Parsley
  94. Parsnip
  95. Passion fruit
  96. Pea
  97. Peach
  98. Peanut
  99. Pear
  100. Pecan
  101. Peppermint
  102. Pineapple
  103. Pistachio
  104. Plant
  105. Plum
  106. Pomegranate
  107. Potato
  108. Pulse
  109. Pumpkin
  110. Radicchio
  111. Radish
  112. Raisin
  113. Rambutan
  114. Rapini
  115. Raspberry
  116. Redcurrant
  117. Rhubarb
  118. Rice
  119. Rosemary
  120. Runner bean
  121. Rye
  122. Salvia
  123. Semolina
  124. Sesame
  125. Shallot
  126. Sinapis
  127. Sorghum
  128. Soybean
  129. Spearmint
  130. Spinach
  131. Squash
  132. Strawberry
  133. Sugar cane
  134. Sunflower seed
  135. Sweet potato
  136. Tamarillo
  137. Tamarind
  138. Tangerine
  139. Thyme
  140. Tomato
  141. Turnip
  142. Vanilla
  143. Vicia faba
  144. Walnut
  145. Watercress
  146. Watermelon
  147. Wheat
  148. Wild rice
  149. Zucchini

 

 
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FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
This article is from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_GNU_Free_Documentation_License 

Apricot

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 


 

For other uses, see Apricot (disambiguation).

The apricot (Prunus armeniaca or Armenian plum in Latin, syn. Armeniaca vulgaris, Armenian: Ծիրան, Chinese: 杏子) is a fruit-bearing tree, thought to be native to China and spread to Europe through Armenia. It is classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus of the Prunus genus.

It is a small- to medium-sized tree with a dense, spreading canopy 8–12 m tall; its leaves are shaped somewhat like a heart, with pointed tips, and about 8 cm long and 3–4 cm wide. Its flowers are white to pinkish in color. The fruit appears similar to a peach or nectarine, with a color ranging from yellow to orange and sometimes a red cast; its surface is smooth and nearly hairless. Apricots are stone fruit (drupes), so called because the lone seed is often called a "stone".

The name derives from "apricock" and "abrecox", through the French abricot, from the Spanish albaricoque, which was an adaptation of the Arabic al-burquk, itself a rendering of the late Greek πρεκοκκια or πραικοκιον, adapted from the Latin praecox or praecoquus, early, possibly referring to the fruit maturing much earlier in the summer than plums. However, in Argentina and Chile the word for "apricot" is "damasco" which probably indicates that to the Argentines the fruit was associated with Damascus.

Cultivation

The apricot is thought to have originated in northeastern China near the Russian border. In Armenia it was known from ancient times [1]. The Romans brought it into Europe through Armenia about 70 BC. While English settlers brought the apricot to the English colonies in the New World, most of modern American production of apricots comes from the seedlings carried to the west coast by Spanish missionaries. Turkey provides 85 percent of the world's dried apricot [citation needed] and apricot kernels today (concentrated around the city of Malatya). Most U.S. production is in California with some in Oregon and Utah. In Armenia apricot is grown in Ararat Valley.

The Apricot is slightly more cold-hardy than the peach, tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30 °C or lower if healthy. The limiting factor in apricot culture is spring frosts: They tend to flower very early, before the vernal equinox even in northern locations like the Great Lakes region, meaning spring frost often kills the flowers. The trees do need some winter cold (even if minimal) to bear and grow properly and do well in Mediterranean climate locations since spring frosts are less severe here but there is some cool winter weather to allow a proper dormancy. The dry climate of these areas is best for good fruit production. Hybridisation with the closely related Prunus sibirica (Siberian Apricot; hardy to −50°C but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants [2].

Apricot cultivars are most often grafted on plum or peach rootstocks. A cutting of an existing apricot plant provides the fruit characteristics such as flavor, size, etc., but the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant.

Many apricots are also cultivated in Australia, particularly South Australia where they are commonly grown in the region known as the Riverland and in a small town called Mypolonga in the Lower Murray region of the state. In states other than South Australia apricots are still grown, particularly in Tasmania and western Victoria and southwest New South Wales, but they are less common than in South Australia.

Apricots are also cultivated in Egypt and are among the common fruits well known there. The season in which apricot is present in the market in Egypt is very short. There is even an Egyptian proverb that says "Fel meshmesh" (English "in the apricot") which is used to refer to something that will not happen because the apricot disappears from the market in Egypt so shortly after it has appeared. Egyptians usually dry apricot and sweeten it then use it to make a drink called "amar el deen".

Medicinal and non-food uses

Fresh or dried, apricots are an excellent health and beauty food. Three small fresh apricots contain more than 50% of the recommended daily intake (RDA) of beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant. Beta-carotene prevents the build-up of plaque deposits in the arteries, protects the eyes from sun damage and deactivates free radicals that, if left unchecked, accelerate the ageing process and increase the risk of cancer. In addition, the body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is vital for good vision and for keeping the eyes lubricated. Those at risk of dry eyes, such as contact-lens wearers, should include plenty of apricots in their diet. Apricots contain significant levels of iron, essential for hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells. Iron deficiency leads to anaemia, pale skin, and thinning, undernourished hair.

Cyanogenic glycosides (found in most stone fruit seeds, bark, and leaves) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. Laetrile, a purported alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. As early as the year 502, apricot seeds were used to treat tumors, and in the 17th century apricot oil was used in England against tumors and ulcers. Seeds of the apricot grown in central Asia and around the Mediterranean are so sweet that they may be substituted for almonds. Oil pressed from these cultivars has been used as cooking oil. Powderized seeds can also be added to pastry dough to give a distinct flavor.

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and were used in this context in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and as an inducer of childbirth labor, as depicted in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. Dreaming of apricots, in English folklore, is said to be good luck, though the Chinese believe the fruit is a symbol of cowardice.

The IUD (intrauterine device) form of birth control, based on the premise that a foreign object within the uterus will prevent the implantation of an embryo, is linked to an old practice of camel herders and drivers who would place an apricot pit within the uterus of their female camels to prevent pregenancy and keep them working at carrying cargo rather than the work of mothering.[citation needed]

Apricot in culture

The Chinese associate the apricot with education and medicine. Chuang Tzu, a Chinese philosopher in 4th century BCE, had told a story that Confucius taught his students in a forum among the wood of apricot.[citation needed]

In the 2nd century, Tung Fung, a medical doctor, lived in Lushan. He asked his cured patients to plant apricots in his backyard instead of paying consultation and medical fees. Those cured of serious illness planted five, and the rest planted one. After some years, a hundred thousand apricot trees were planted and the wood become the symbol for doctors and medicine.[citation needed]

In The Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion sings, "What puts the ape in the apricot? Courage!"

Among tank-driving soldiers, apricots are taboo, by superstition. Tankers will not eat apricots, allow apricots onto their vehicles, and often will not even say the word "apricot".[citation needed]

See also

Look up apricot in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Pluot
  • Ume
  • Amygdalin

External links

  • Apricot and Benefits
  • Bitter Apricot Seed — information on medicinal uses of apricot seeds
  • The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction at Project Gutenberg
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot"