Anapricot (US:/ˈæprɪkɒt/^ⓘ,UK:/ˈeɪprɪkɒt/^ⓘ) is afruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genusPrunus.

Apricot
Apricot and its cross-section
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Prunussubg. Prunus
Section:	Prunussect. Armeniaca (Scop.)Koch
Type species
Prunus armeniacaL.
Species
See text.

Usually an apricot is from the speciesP. armeniaca, but the fruits of the other species inPrunus sect.Armeniaca are also called apricots.^[1] In 2022, world production of apricots was 3.9 milliontonnes, led byTurkey with 21% of the total.

Apricot first appeared in English in the 16th century asabrecock from theMiddle Frenchaubercot or laterabricot,^[2] from Spanishalbaricoque andCatalana(l)bercoc, in turn from Arabicالْبَرْقُوق‎ (al-barqūq,'the plums'), from Byzantine Greekβερικοκκίᾱ (berikokkíā,'apricot tree'), derived from late Greekπραικόκιον (praikókion,'apricot') from Latin [persica ('peach')]praecocia' (praecoquus,'early ripening').^[3][4][5]

The apricot is a small tree, 8–12 metres (26–39 feet) tall, with a trunk up to 40 centimetres (16 inches) in diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. Theleaves areovate, 5–9 cm (2–3+1⁄2 in) long, and4–8 cm (1+1⁄2–3 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip, and a finely serrated margin. Theflowers are2–4.5 cm (3⁄4–1+3⁄4 in) in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is adrupe (stonefruit) similar to a smallpeach,1.5–2.5 cm (1⁄2–1 in) diameter (larger in some moderncultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface can be smooth (botanically described as:glabrous) or velvety with very short hairs (botanically:pubescent). The flesh is usually succulent, but dry in some species such asP. sibirica. Its taste can range from sweet to tart. The singleseed or "kernel" is enclosed in a hard shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side.^{[6][7][page needed]}

Apricots contain variousphytochemicals, such asprovitamin Abeta-carotene andpolyphenols, includingcatechins andchlorogenic acid.^[8] Taste and aroma compounds includesucrose,glucose,organic acids,terpenes,aldehydes andlactones.^[9]

Apricots are species belonging toPrunus sect.Armeniaca. The taxonomic position ofP. brigantina is disputed. It is grouped withplum species according to chloroplast DNA sequences,^[10] but more closely related to apricot species according to nuclear DNA sequences.^[11]

• Prunus armeniaca – common apricot, widely cultivated for its edible fruit andkernel
• Prunus brigantina – Briançon apricot, native to Europe, cultivated for its edible fruit and oil-producingkernel
• Prunus cathayana – native toHebei
• Prunus ×dasycarpa – purple apricot, cultivated in Central Asia and adjacent areas for its edible fruit
• Prunus hongpingensis – Hongping apricot, native toShennongjia, cultivated for its edible fruit
• Prunus hypotrichodes – native toChongqing
• Prunus limeixing – cultivated in northern China for its edible fruit
• Prunus mandshurica – Manchurian apricot, native to Northeast Asia, cultivated for itskernel, the fruits of some cultivars edible
• Prunus mume – Flowering apricot or plum blossom, native to southern China, widely cultivated for its beautiful blossom and edible fruit
• Prunus sibirica – Siberian apricot, native to Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, and Korea, cultivated for itskernel
• Prunus zhengheensis – Zhenghe apricot, native toFujian

The most commonly cultivated apricotP. armeniaca was known inArmenia during ancient times, and has been cultivated there for so long that it was previously thought to have originated there, hence the epithet of its scientific name.^[12] However, this is not supported by genetic studies, which instead confirm the hypothesis proposed by Nikolai Vavilov that domestication ofP. armeniaca occurred inCentral Asia andChina.^[13][14] The domesticated apricot then diffused south toSouth Asia,^[13] west toWest Asia (including Armenia),Europe andNorth Africa, and east toJapan.^[14]

Chinese flowering plum (P. mume) is another widely cultivated apricot species native to southern China, usually for ornamental uses. Despite the common name, it is more closely related to apricots. This species has been introduced to Japan and Korea.

Apricots have a chilling requirement of 300 to 900chilling units. A dry climate is good for fruit maturation. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than thepeach, tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30 °C (−22 °F) or lower if healthy. However, large differences are observed between cultivars in frost resistance.^[15] They are hardy inUSDA zones 5 through 8. A limiting factor in apricot culture is springfrosts: They tend to flower very early (in early March in western Europe), and spring frost can kill flowers or before flower buds in different stages of development.^[15] Furthermore, the trees are sensitive to temperature changes during the winter season. In China, winters can be very cold, but temperatures tend to be more stable than inEurope and especiallyNorth America, where large temperature swings can occur in winter.Hybridization with the closely relatedPrunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50 °C (−58 °F) but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.^[16] They prefer well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.^[17]

Apricot cultivars are usuallygrafted onto plum or peach rootstocks. The cultivarscion provides the fruit characteristics, such as flavor and size, but therootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant. Some of the more popular US apricot cultivars are 'Blenheim', 'Wenatchee Moorpark', 'Tilton', and 'Perfection'. Some apricot cultivars are self-compatible, so do not require pollinizer trees; others are not: 'Moongold' and 'Sungold', for example, must be planted in pairs so they can pollinate each other.^[18]

Hybridisors have created what is known as a "black apricot" or "purple apricot", (Prunus dasycarpa), a hybrid of an apricot and the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). Other apricot–plum hybrids are variously calledplumcots, apriplums, pluots, or apriums.^[19]

Apricots are susceptible to various diseases whose relative importance differs in the major production regions as a consequence of their climatic differences. For example, hot weather as experienced in California's Central Valley often causes pit burn, a condition of soft and brown fruit around the pit.^[20] Bacterial diseases include bacterial spot and crown gall. Fungal diseases include brown rot caused byMonilinia fructicola: infection of the blossom by rainfall leads to "blossom wilt"^[21] whereby the blossoms and young shoots turn brown and die; the twigs die back in a severe attack; brown rot of the fruit is due toMonilinia infection later in the season. Dieback of branches in the summer is attributed to the fungusEutypa lata, where examination of the base of the dead branch reveals a canker surrounding a pruning wound.^[22] Other fungal diseases areblack knot,Alternaria spot and fruit rot, andpowdery mildew.^[23] Unlike peaches, apricots are not affected byleaf curl, and bacterial canker (causing sunken patches in the bark, which then spread and kill the affected branch or tree) and silver leaf are not serious threats, which means that pruning in late winter is considered safe.^[21]

Due to their naturalamygdalin content, culinary uses for the kernel are limited. Oil made from apricot kernels is safe for human consumption without treatment because amygdalin is not oil soluble. Ground up shells are used incosmetics as an exfoliant.^[24] As an exfoliant, it provides an alternative to plasticmicrobeads.^[25]

In 2022, world production of apricots was 3.86 milliontonnes, led by Turkey with 21% of the total (table). Other major producers (in descending order) wereUzbekistan,Iran,Italy, andAlgeria.^[26]Malatya is the center of Turkey's apricot industry.^[27]

Apricot kernels (seeds) containamygdalin, a poisonous compound. On average, bitter apricot kernels contain about 5% amygdalin and sweet kernels about 0.9% amygdalin. These values correspond to 0.3% and 0.05% ofcyanide. Since a typical apricot kernel weighs 600 mg, bitter and sweet varieties contain, respectively, 1.8 and 0.3 mg of cyanide.^[28]

Apricot kernels can be made into aplant milk.^[29] Apricots are commonly consumed either as raw fruit or after dehydration as a dried fruit.

In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), raw apricots supply 48Calories and are composed of 11%carbohydrates, 1%protein, less than 1%fat, and 86% water (table). Raw apricots are a moderate source ofvitamin A andvitamin C (11% of theDaily Value each).

Dried apricots are a type oftraditional dried fruit. Dried apricots are 63% carbohydrates, 31% water, 4% protein, and contain negligible fat. When apricots are dried, the relative concentration of micronutrients is increased, with vitamin A,vitamin E, andpotassium having rich contents (Daily Values above 20%, table).

The apricot is thenational fruit ofArmenia, mostly growing in theArarat plain.^[32][33] It is often depicted on souvenirs.^[34]

The Chinese associate the apricot with education and medicine. For instance, the classical word杏壇 (literally: "apricotaltar") (xìng tán 杏坛) which means "educational circle", is still widely used in written language.Zhuangzi, a Chinese philosopher in the fourth century BC, told a story thatConfucius taught his students in a forum surrounded by the wood of apricot trees.^[35] The association with medicine in turn comes from the common use of apricot kernels as a component intraditional Chinese medicine, and from the story of Dong Feng (董奉), a physician during theThree Kingdoms period, who required no payment from his patients except that they plant apricot trees in his orchard upon recovering from their illnesses, resulting in a large grove of apricot trees and a steady supply of medicinal ingredients.^[36] The term "expert of the apricot grove" (杏林高手) is still used as a poetic reference to physicians.^{[citation needed]}

The fact that apricot season is short and unreliable in Egypt has given rise to the commonEgyptian Arabic andPalestinian Arabic expressionfilmishmish ("in apricot [season]") orbukra filmishmish ("tomorrow in apricot [season]"), generally uttered as a riposte to an unlikely prediction, or as a rash promise to fulfill a request.^[37] Thisadynaton has the same sense as the English expression "when pigs fly".^[38]

InMiddle Eastern andNorth African cuisines, apricots are used to makeQamar al-Din (lit. "Moon of the faith"), a thick apricot drink that is a popular fixture atIftar duringRamadan. Qamar al-Din is believed to originate inDamascus, Syria, where the variety of apricots most suitable for the drink was first grown.^[39][40]

InJewish culture, apricots are commonly eaten as part of theTu Bishvat seder.^[41]

The Turkish idiombundan iyisi Şam'da kayısı (literally, "the only thing better than this is an apricot in Damascus") means "it doesn't get any better than this".^{[citation needed]}

In theU.S. Marines it is considered exceptionally bad luck to eat or possess apricots,^[42] especially near tanks.^[43] This superstition has been documented since at least theVietnam War and is often cited as originating inWorld War II. Even calling them by their name is considered unlucky,^[44] so they are instead called "cots",^[45] "Forbidden fruit" or "A-fruit".^[46]

Americanastronauts ate dried apricot on theApollo 15 andApollo 17 missions to the moon.^[47]

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  Dried date, peach, apricot, and stones. From Lahun, Fayum, Egypt.Late Middle Kingdom.The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London
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  Blooms of an apricot
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  Apricot kernel (endocarp and seed)
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  Dried apricot, with dark color due to absence ofsulfur dioxide treatment
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  Prunus sibirica (Siberian apricot; hardy to −50 °C (−58 °F) but with less palatable fruit)
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  Apricot tree,Turkey
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  Apricots drying on the ground inCappadocia
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  Syrian apricot paste
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  Packaging apricot fruits inUzbekistan
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  Drying apricot fruits
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  'Kecskemét Rose' - a pale and juicy apricot cultivar

• Barack (brandy);apricot brandy
• Apricot plum,Prunus simonii

• "Apricot" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 230.
•   The dictionary definition ofapricot at Wiktionary