Mountain Apricot

Mountain Apricot

　　Apricot, also known as common apricot, belongs to the Rosaceae family, Prunus genus, and is a perennial deciduous tree. The earliest written record of apricot appears in the *Book of Songs* (6th century BC – 1st century BC), where it is ranked first among the five fruits: apricot, plum, chestnut, jujube, and peach. Additionally, texts such as the *Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon·Basic Questions*, *Qimin Yaoshu*, and *Wang Zhen’s Agricultural Treatise* all contain records about apricot. China has a wide apricot cultivation range, with plantings in the Northeast, North China, and Northwest regions, forming three major commercial apricot production bases: the Northeast bitter almond production base, the Northern sweet almond and preserved apricot processing base, and the Northwest dried apricot processing base. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Wuqi County and surrounding areas have placed importance on artificial cultivation. Initially, the focus was mainly on eating the flesh and extracting oil. Later, as its contribution to household income grew, the Wuqi County Party Committee and County Government designated it as a leading industry for poverty alleviation and prosperity. Locals affectionately call apricot “the sheep that doesn’t eat grass, the grain that doesn’t take up land, golden beans, and a small bank.” **The Nutritional and Health Benefits of Apricot** Apricot kernels are highly nutritious, rich in protein, carbohydrates, crude fiber, fat, sugars, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and various trace elements and vitamins. Among them, selenium content is the highest, and selenium has a notable effect in delaying cell and body aging. Substances such as carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin found in apricot kernels are extremely valuable medicinal compounds, offering benefits such as moistening the lungs, dispelling cold, expelling wind, relieving diarrhea, and moisturizing dryness. Many ancient Chinese medical texts document their functions in moistening the lungs, calming wheezing and coughs, eliminating phlegm, reducing stagnation, and lubricating the intestines. They are also commonly used in folk remedies for chronic bronchitis, neurasthenia, and rickets in children. In recent years, medical research has found that apricot kernels contain VB17, which degrades into benzaldehyde in the human body and exhibits strong anti-cancer activity, helping to alleviate the suffering of cancer patients. Peking University Health Science Center once conducted an experiment titled “The Relationship Between Eating Apricot Kernels and Cardiovascular Health in Chinese People,” the results of which showed that sweet apricot kernels can help lower blood lipids. Another study in the United States revealed that the vitamin E content in just three to five sweet apricot kernels can meet the daily needs of the human body. Today, the nutritional and health benefits of apricot kernels have garnered widespread attention. **Processing and Utilization of Apricot** Every part of the apricot is valuable—from the flesh and shell to the kernel. Fresh apricot flesh is processed into popular long-selling foods such as dried apricots and apricot jam. Apricot kernels are used in a variety of food processing applications. In addition to mass-produced snacks like roasted apricot kernels, apricot cakes, apricot pudding, apricot beverages, chewing gum, and apricot chocolates, they can also serve as flavorings for waffles, vegetable salads, baked goods, or meat and poultry and seafood salads. Various single components are extracted and isolated from apricot kernels for fortifying other foods, producing high-end nutritional products, as well as being used in cosmetics such as face creams and lotions. Apricot kernel oil is used to make fragrances, cooking oils, or high-grade lubricants. The shells are used in chemical products such as paint, activated carbon, and soap. As people pay increasing attention to health and dietary structure, the apricot industry is winning favor among many businesses and will become widely integrated into everyday life. (Wuqi)