The official name of the apricot is Prunis Armeniaca, but this fruit does not originate from Armenia, but from China and rumor has it that the Chinese have used it for 4,000 years. The apricot is family of the peach, but it blossoms earlier and therefore grows only in subtropical countries. We have seen it a lot in Uzbekistan, as the winters were cold but also very short. Around Navruz there was always an abundance of blossom, as fruit trees grow even along the streets in the cities. The former name of the capital Tashkent is Ming-Uruk, meaning thousand apricot trees. In autumn, they sold the most delicious dried apricots in the bazaar, from very cheap to enormously expensive, depending on the quality. But trying was always free!