Bright orange dried apricots have usually been treated with sulphur dioxide (E220), which fixes the colour. Ours are dried naturally in the sun: they are dark amber or brownish, with a more complex aroma and flavour and none of that "chemical" note.
Dried fruit & nuts
Dried apricots
Dried apricots from Surkhandarya and Sughd: large, fleshy and sweet, with no sulphites and no sugar. Sold loose at the counter, and the seller will let you taste them first.
These large dried apricots come from Uzbek and Tajik orchards. What we sell at the counter is naturally dried fruit from Surkhandarya and Sughd, with no sulphites and no added sugar: dark amber and fleshy, with a complex sweet-sour flavour and a honeyed finish.
- Origin
- Uzbekistan (Surkhandarya) / Tajikistan (Sughd, Istaravshan)
- Category
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Packaging
- Loose from 200 g, packed 500 g and 1 kg
- Shelf life
- Up to 12 months in a cool, dry place
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
In Surkhandarya and Sughd, apricots are dried in the sun, as they have been in these regions for centuries: the fruit loses its moisture naturally, with no ovens and no chemical treatment. Apricots dried this way are deep amber or brownish. The bright orange ones in an ordinary supermarket have usually been treated with sulphur dioxide (E220), which fixes the colour but flattens the flavour.
Dried apricots are eaten with tea and navat, and go into plov with a sweet note (such as the Tashkent wedding plov), porridge, sweet samsa fillings and desserts with walnuts. A simple Uzbek dessert is dried apricots and walnuts with a piyola (tea bowl) of hot kok-chai.
At the counter we weigh out 200 g, 500 g or 1 kg, and the seller will let you taste before you buy, as is usual at an Uzbek market. If you plan to serve them to guests, choose slightly drier fruit; for porridge and plov, softer and juicier ones.
FAQ
Dried apricots: common questions
Yes, there is no added sugar. The sweetness comes from the fruit's own sugar, which concentrates as it dries. If you find them too sweet, try the tarter varieties from Sughd.
Up to 12 months in an airtight container somewhere cool and dry. In the fridge dried apricots can "sweat" and pick up condensation, so keep them at room temperature, away from the stove and direct sun.
Yes. For porridge or plov, soak dried apricots in warm water for 30–60 minutes and they become softer and juicier. There is no need to soak them to serve with tea.
For plov or tea
Everything for dinner at one counter
At Arkan Bazar in Riga you can get everything for a meal in one go: rice, spices, dried fruit, flatbread and tea. Planning a family celebration or cooking for a large group? Write to us through the form in advance, and we will have your order ready on time.