The story
What it is
Every summer, Hunza’s flat roofs turn orange with apricots laid out to dry. In spring the whole valley blossoms white and pink.
The fruit is eaten dried through the long winter, and the kernels are cracked and pressed for oil.
Home / Bazaar / Gilgit-Baltistan / Hunza apricots
Real photo comingApricots drying on a roofThe real thing
Hunza, Gilgit-BaltistanFor the kitchen · Wellbeing · Gifts
Hunza apricots
Sun-dried apricots and apricot oil
خوبانیHow it is said in Urdu
Sun-dried on rooftops in the valley below Rakaposhi.
- Grown in
- Hunza and Gilgit-Baltistan
- Made from
- Sun-dried apricots, cold-pressed kernel oil
- Harvest
- High summer
- Uses
- Snacks, desserts, cooking, skin and hair oil
Typical price, before shippingCommission link
$10–35
Find Hunza apricots on Amazon ↗If you buy through this link we may earn a small commission. It never changes your price.
In pictures
The real thing
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History
Where it comes from
Apricots have long been central to life in Hunza, both as food through the winter and as a trade crop.
How it’s made
From start to finished
Pick
Fruit is picked in high summer.
Dry
Apricots are dried on roofs in the mountain sun.
Crack kernels
Stones are cracked to remove kernels.
Press
Kernels are cold-pressed for oil.
Kinds
What you will find
Dried apricots
Whole or halved.
Apricot oil
For skin and hair.
Jam
Some producers make apricot jam.
In Pakistan
How people live with it
Dried apricots are soaked into a dessert, cooked with meat and carried as trail food. The oil goes on skin and hair.
Caring for it
- Keep dried fruit in an airtight jar.
- Store oil away from light.
Buy it well
How to spot the real thing
- Naturally dried Hunza apricots are brown, not bright orange. Bright ones are usually treated with sulphur.
- Buy apricot oil that is cold-pressed and sold for cosmetic use.
- Do not eat raw bitter apricot kernels in quantity. They contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide.
| Genuine | Likely a copy |
|---|---|
| Brown, wrinkled, sun-dried | Bright orange, sulphured |
Where to buy
Sellers who ship abroad
Commission link
Amazon
We may earn a small commission. Your price is the same.
Find Hunza apricots on Amazon ↗Typical price: $10–35, before shipping. Read the “Buy it well” checks above before you order, and ask the seller for photos of the exact piece.
Questions
People also ask
Why are they brown?
Sun-drying without sulphur turns them brown. The flavour is deeper.
Can I eat the kernels?
Not the bitter ones in quantity. Sweet kernels are sold separately.
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