Their journey to world domination
Apricots have had a long journey. They first originated in Asia, which part of Asia is a widely debated question. Some people argue that they came from China where research has found that natives ate the plant as early as 2000 B.C. Others say they come from Armenia where the largest variety of apricots can be found. Apricots are also Armenia's national fruit. Regardless of where Apricots came from they are now everywhere. They are found on all continents except Antarctica.
Apricots were first spread through the silk road where they moved from the hands of the Chinese to the Persians. Then the great, Alexander the great, introduced the amazing fruit to the Greeks who called it the prunus armeniaca in honour of where they believed it originated from. Then the Romans renamed it praecocum which means the 'precious one' as they noticed the fruit was very fragile. Being destroyed by early frost or strong winds. The fruit became a favorite of royals and aristocrats. The fruit spread to all parts of Europe and was widely enjoyed.
The Americas
When Europeans discovered the new world they took apricots with them. First imported in the early 18th century by Spanish sailors who gave the fruit to Californians who planted the new fruit in their soil. California is still the leading producer of fruit in the United States. However when it comes to making the most apricots globally, Turkey takes the lead. Contributing around 800,000 tons of apricot every year. Their apricots are known for their delicious flavor and are a definite favorite among the world.
A map of where apricots are grown, the more colored, the more apricots grown.