What is Hunza apricots?

Hunza apricots look nothing like the familiar plump orange apricots. They're small, round and hard, with a beige colour - sort of like a pale walnut. They come from wild apricot trees in the Hunza valley in Kashmir and from Afghanistan and Turkey. The fruit are left on the trees to dry before harvesting.

They can't be eaten raw, but need to be soaked and cooked before eating or cooking with them. They have an intense toffee-like flavour and can be used in sweet and savoury dishes such as tagines, curries, stews or jams, coulis, desserts and baked goods.