They are larger, the thin skin has no bitterness, and the kernel is oilier and sweeter. This is the walnut that grows wild in the relict groves of Arslanbob in Kyrgyzstan.
Dried fruit & nuts
Kyrgyz walnuts
Walnuts from Arslanbob, the largest walnut grove in Central Asia. Large kernels with a sweet note and no bitterness in the skin.
These walnuts come from Arslanbob, the largest relict walnut grove in Central Asia, in the Kyrgyz foothills of the Tien Shan. The kernels are larger and sweeter than ordinary walnuts, the thin skin lacks the usual bitterness, and the flavour is rich and buttery.
- Origin
- Kyrgyzstan (Arslanbob, Jalal-Abad Region)
- Category
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Packaging
- Loose from 200 g; 500 g packs
- Shelf life
- Up to 6 months in the fridge; up to 12 months in the freezer
- Certification
- Halal, certified by ALHALAL
Arslanbob covers about 11,000 hectares of wild walnut groves. Nobody plants the trees there; local families gather the nuts. The harvest runs through September and October, and every batch is labelled with its season. At our counter you will only find walnuts from this season or last, never older.
In Uzbek and wider Central Asian cooking, walnuts go into desserts (with dried apricots and navat, served with tea), into the filling of sweet samsa, into chak-chak and into sweet versions of plov. With honey, dried fruit and kok-chai they make a simple, filling afternoon snack that needs no sweets.
Shelled walnuts oxidise in the air faster than nuts in the shell, so keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, or in the freezer. For longer storage the freezer is best, for up to 12 months; left uncovered, the nuts lose their freshness in 2–3 weeks.
FAQ
Kyrgyz walnuts: common questions
In season, yes; the rest of the year we stock shelled walnuts. Nuts in the shell keep longer but need a nutcracker; shelled ones are easier to cook with.
Keep shelled walnuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months, or in the freezer for up to 12. Left out in the open, they lose their freshness in 2–3 weeks and start to taste bitter.
Dried apricots, honey, navat, and Uzbek black or green tea. For breakfast, add them to porridge; they also go into samsa and chak-chak. In plov, they belong in the sweet versions.
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.