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Apricots - the gold of Hunza Valley

  • Writer:  Naba Basar
    Naba Basar
  • Jul 8, 2019
  • 2 min read

Updated: Sep 3, 2022


Apricot orchards are more common in Hunza and Nagar valleys, the legendary fruit of the valley. A family's economic stability is measured by the number of trees they have under cultivation. The juicy yellow fruit is the major diet in summers and dried and stored throughout the winters. The pits are cracked to obtain the kernel that is crushed to obtain the oil for cooking and for lamps. The hard shell is kept for fire fuel. The kernel and oil could be eaten from the variety of apricots with a sweet kernel, but the bitter kernel variety has oil containing poisonous prussic acid. Besides apricots, the Hunzakuts also grow apples, pears, peaches, mulberries, black and red cherries, and grapes. Mulberries, which resemble blackberries in size and shape, are a favorite fruit. When fully ripe, their flavor is sweet-sour but somewhat bland. The variety grown in Hunza is most likely a golden color - Witnessed this as we drove past the apricot laden roads, streets, hotels from Hussainabad to Aliabad to Karimabad and also caught sight of apple and cherry trees.


Hunzakuts take pride in growing their own plantations. Apart from their cherished gold trees (apricots) they cultivate other fruits and vegetables, some even go to the extent of growing mountain herbs in their gardens.

(Taken from the book - Gateway to Serenity The Karakoram Highway)


Chamus (Sun-dried organic apricot juice known as Chamus in Hunza)

Ingredients:

200 grams of dried apricots / fresh ones

1 litre of water / or less depending on your preference of thickness

Sugar or Honey to taste - if you need to sweeten the juice

How to prepare:

Step 1: Soak the dried apricots in hot water for about an hour. You can use fresh apricots or a mix of fresh and dried ones.

Step 2: Traditionally the juice is kneaded using hands for hours until the apricots become soft. Mix completely with water.

Alternative solution: Simply mix the soaked apricots with water in a blender and blend through

Step 3: Strain the apricot juice and garnish with chopped apricot kernels

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About Me

I am a teacher by profession and a freelance writer, photographer  and backpacker by passion. Born and raised in Karachi, I overcame the challenges of being a single parent and ventured out to explore Pakistan as a solo traveler. Starting with small group travels, I, eventually backpacked across Pakistan solo and in small groups, choosing to travel by public transport, living in local homes, and enjoying the simple food the mountains offer.

I am an author of two travelogues, “Gateway to Serenity: The Karakoram Highway” and “Walk to Remember: The Karakoram Highway”. Both books are based on my personal journey across Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, where I share the culture, cuisine, lives, stories, landscape, hospitality, and simplicity of the people with the rest of the world. My passion for nature and adventure began in 2013 and has inspired me to explore the unprecedented mountain ranges since then. I have researched intricate details about every place and included them for the reader’s benefit, while keeping my writing real and authentic without sugar-coating anything.

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Click on any of the links: 

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or

https://thazbooks.com/product-category/books/travelogues/

You may Order through my email address: nababasar@hotmail.com

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