Thoughts on Apricot Kernels and Their Substitutes

By Natal’ia Vladimirova ‘doch

One of the unusual flavours found in medieval Mongolian cooking is apricot kernel. This paper is a

summary of my research into this seed, its safety for consumption, and feasible alternatives for safety.

Uses

Apricot kernel is the seed of Punus mume (although many commercially available apricot kernels are

Punus armeniaca) located within the apricot pit. During the middle ages, in China and Mongolia, apricot

kernel was used as a flavour similar to other spices. It falls within the bitter palate. Use of apricot kernel to

make flour or as a finger food is not supported in this region during the middle ages.

In modern times, apricot kernels are used as a flavour additive, a snack food (primarily sweet apricot

kernels are used for this rather than the bitter variety), and as a cancer therapy. It is important to note

that there is no scientifically supported therapeutic use for apricot kernels in relation to cancer1.

Apricot Kernels and Cyanide Poisoning

Apricot kernels contain a varying level of a plant based toxin that can release hydrocyanic acid (HCN)

within the human digestive tract. High levels of HCN in the gut can cause cyanide poisoning. This has led

to the death of several people overseas. The first reported apricot kernel cyanide poisoning case was

recorded in Turnkey in 1957. This case involved nine children – two of whom died as a direct result of

apricot kernel ingestion. There have been two reported cases of apricot kernel induced cyanide poisoning

in Australia that led to the initiation of a safety review by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)2.

The lethal dose of HCN for humans is reported to be as low as 1.5 mg/kg of body weight3. Due to the

identified dietary risks of eating raw apricot kernels and the likelihood that any dosage recommendations

would be ignored, FSANZ enacted a total sale ban on raw apricot kernels within Australia and New

Zealand in 2015. FSANZ also released an updated ‘safe dosage’ for apricot kernels (currently listed as:

Adults – 4 kernels or few per day; Children – there is no safe number recommended)4.

One argument given by those who would like to continue to have access to apricot kernels is that a

1.5mg/kg of body weight dosage would be difficult to obtain by ‘just a few kernels in one or two food

dishes’. This is a true statement. However, the HCN in the body can build up over time (such as with

people who are using apricot kernel as a drug, taking a larger number over many days) as the liver and

kidneys cannot detox the body of the toxin quickly enough.

Symptoms of cyanide poisoning may include:

Weakness, vertigo, confusion, headaches, and rapid or difficult breathing. Loss of consciousness is often

next if exposure continues, followed by coma, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, and death. Seizures,

giddiness, and temporary cession of breathing have also been reported in cyanide poisoning cases though

these seem to be more closely linked with inhalant dosages of cyanide5,6.

Long term, low dose exposure to HCN include liver and kidney damage, permanent paralysis,

hypothyroidism, and miscarriages7.

The recognised treatment for cyanide poisoning is hospitalisation.

Why is this a problem today but was not an issue back in the middle ages?

Opinions vary as to why the first reported cyanide poisoning case was in the 1950s and not before. There

is the possibility that cyanide poisoning after raw apricot kernel ingestion was not identified or associated

with cause and effect. This is the most common belief. There is also the consideration that raw apricot

kernel was not routinely eaten in China/Mongolia during the middle ages. The more common use of the

kernel was as a cooked food additive. When heated, apricot kernel toxin levels lower.

Other researchers believe that the likely reason for the increase in reported poisoning outcomes is

related to increased toxicity of the kernels themselves. These researchers believe that this increase in the

toxin levels of the kernels must be related to the climate and stress levels of cultivated apricot species. As

stress factors (heat, drought, nutrient levels) increase, the individual HNC level of apricot kernels from

these plants also increase. These researchers believe that the middle ages were a more hospitable time

for the trees. There is also the possibility that we have cultivated apricot trees that produce higher toxin

levels naturally8.

Do we really need this flavour profile in our dishes?

Ultimately, the answer to this question must be ‘no’. The toxic level of raw apricot kernel is such that we

cannot reliably say that we would not cause harm by serving it (even if we cook the kernel, we do not

have the equipment required for ensuring dietary safety). Though cooking and serving an apricot kernel

containing medieval Mongolian redaction is unlikely to cause any large dosage cyanide poisoning at an

event, we do not know if the people we are serving would suffer from low dosages of HNC.

Alternatives

The apricot kernel flavour palate (bitter) is required to properly balance the Mongolian flavours. Apricot

kernels were banned for sale in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Because of this, I decided that I

needed to provide a viable alternative for redactions of Mongolian dishes I submit for tasting, feasts, and

to cooks throughout the Kingdom.

Raw apricot kernel has a slightly oily, chalky texture and a mild, nutty flavour that has a fruity wash on the

back of the tongue. Once heated, the texture is more like a soft nut-paste and still maintains the fruity

back note; however, the initial taste is bitter (not sour).

Thoughts on Apricot Kernels and Their Substitutes - page 2

My Research

I set out to find a nut that would be in keeping of the flavour balance of medieval Mongolia dishes that

could be used as an apricot kernel substitute. I have selected the following nut products because the nuts

were all available and used during the Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia.

Thoughts on Apricot Kernels and Their Substitutes - page 3

Acorns Castanopsis sclerophyl-la, Quercus spp., esp: Q. myrsinaefolia Almonds/ Badam Nut Prunus amygdalus Ginkgo Nut Ginkgo biloba

Hazelnut Corylus heterophylla Pine Nut Pinus ssp. Walnuts Juglans regia

Nu

t Scien

tifi

c Nam

e Flavo

ur/Sm

ell Textu

re H

ow

close

to raw

ap

ricot kern

el

Co

oked

flavo

ur/

textu

re

Ho

w clo

se to

coo

ked ap

ricot

kernel

No

tes

Aco

rns

Ca

stan

op

sis sclerop

hylla

, Q

uercu

s spp

., esp

: Q. m

yrsinae

folia

po

tato-like, fairly

blan

d w

ith a b

itter

aftertaste

pastey w

ith a d

rying

feel in th

e mo

uth

fairly clo

se n

ut p

aste or b

read

do

ugh

texture

n

ot clo

se at all with

th

e chan

ge to

texture

Raw

acorn

s are toxic in

large do

ses. To

redu

ce the to

xins, th

ere is an in

volved

p

rocess o

f wash

ing an

d grin

din

g. Given

the

diffi

culty in

fin

din

g foo

d grad

e acorn

s and

th

e po

ssible to

xin issu

e, I decid

ed to

rem

ove aco

rns fro

m th

e po

ssibility list.

Alm

on

ds/

Bad

am N

ut

Pru

nu

s am

ygd

alu

s sw

eet, blan

d, an

d

a kno

wn

flavo

ur o

f its o

wn

oily an

d so

ft

no

t the b

est match

, ep

ically given th

e kn

ow

n fl

avou

r of

almo

nd

roasti

ng th

e almo

nd

se

ed p

rod

uces a

toasted

flavo

ur

and

a crun

chier

con

sistency

lose

s all similarity

Alm

on

d fl

avou

r is qu

ite un

iqu

e and

familiar

to m

ost p

eop

le so is n

ot id

eal for

replace

men

t of ap

ricot kern

el.

Ap

ricot

Kern

el Paste

P

run

us m

um

e or

Pru

nu

s arm

enia

ca

You

can p

urch

ase aprico

t kernel p

aste pre

-mad

e, oft

en calle

d P

ersipan

. This p

rod

uct is sti

ll available in

spe

cialty cake sho

ps a

nd

has b

een fo

un

d to

b

e with

in to

lerable le

vels of d

ietary safety by FSA

NZ. If u

sing th

is pro

du

ct, the red

actor n

eeds to

be care

ful as m

ost p

re-m

ade p

astes co

ntain

sw

eeteners (su

gar, corn

syrup

, high

-fructo

se syrup

) and

are no

t ideal fo

r Mo

ngo

lian co

okin

g as it destro

ys the fl

avou

r balan

ce.

Gin

kgo N

ut

Gin

kgo

bilo

ba

b

itter w

ith a

disti

ncti

ve chee

sy taste

creamy

no

t very close

less b

itter b

ut

main

tains th

e ch

eesy n

otes an

d

beco

me

s pasty

no

t very close

Th

ese can b

e diffi

cult to

fin

d in

som

e areas.

Hazeln

ut

Co

rylus h

eterop

hylla

a fairly b

land

, nu

t fl

avou

r with

a sw

eet after taste

slightly cru

nch

y h

azelnu

t is no

t as b

itter as ap

ricot

kernel b

ut h

as the

sweet fo

llow

-up

the textu

re of th

e h

azelnu

t beco

me

s so

fter b

ut th

e fl

avou

r remain

s ab

ou

t the sam

e

it is abo

ut th

e same,

raw o

r coo

ked

Hazeln

uts are easily acce

ssible an

d fairly

inexp

ensive. Th

eir overall taste is n

ot th

at far fro

m A

prico

t Kern

el. Ho

we

ver, they lack

the b

itter fl

avou

r.

Pin

e Nu

t P

inu

s ssp.

blan

d fl

avou

r, very sligh

tly bitt

er so

ft an

d o

ily in a

crun

chy sh

ell th

e flavo

ur is very

similar to

aprico

t kern

els bu

t it lacks th

e fruity u

nd

er to

nes.

with

the ad

diti

on

of

heat, p

ine n

uts

beco

me w

arm

bu

ttery in

sides w

ith

a crun

chy sh

ell.

the fl

avou

r is similar

bu

t it can take o

n a

bit o

f a roasted

hin

t d

epen

din

g on

ho

w it

is coo

ked.

Pin

e nu

ts make a very go

od

sub

stitu

te with

th

e add

itio

n o

f a small am

ou

nt o

f fruit ju

ice (ap

ricot) to

give it that sw

eet, ap

ricot

flavo

ur asso

ciated w

ith ap

ricot kern

el. P

ine n

uts are availab

le in m

ost sh

op

s

Waln

uts

Jug

lan

s regia

b

itter, w

oo

dy

flavo

ur

firm

texture

w

alnu

t is mo

re b

itter th

an ap

ricot

kernel

heati

ng can

either

make th

e nu

t mo

re b

itter o

r slightly le

ss b

itter

waln

ut is m

ore b

itter

than

aprico

t kernel

Like with

pin

e nu

ts, waln

uts m

ake a goo

d

sub

stitu

te with

the ad

diti

on

of a sm

all am

ou

nt o

f fruit ju

ice (aprico

t) to give it th

e sw

eet, aprico

t flavo

ur. W

alnu

t wo

uld

wo

rk b

etter w

ith red

meats b

ecau

se the b

itter

no

te is stron

ger. Waln

ut is read

ily available

in m

ost sh

op

s.

My Preferred Substitutes for Apricot Kernel

To my palate, pine nuts offer an adequate substitute to apricot kernels in most cases. In those dishes where a more bitter nut is

required to balance flavours (such as in a dish with a strong flavoured red meat), walnut could be used. To compensate for the

fruit after taste, I include a sweet fruit juice such as apricot or peach. I have found that the following substitution works well:

For each 1 teaspoon Apricot Kernel, substitute 1 teaspoon Pine Nut and ½ teaspoon Apricot Juice

Or

For each 1 teaspoon Apricot Kernel, substitute ½ teaspoon Walnut and ½ teaspoon Apricot Juice

Conclusion

Because apricot kernels are no longer attainable in Australia and New Zealand, due to the unpredictable dietary safety of the

kernel, and my interest in achieving a similar balance to redacted Mongolian dishes, I offer the above practical advice to assist

others wishing to recreate these fascinating dishes.

Thoughts on Apricot Kernels and Their Substitutes - page 5

Notes 1 Cancer Council Australia, Submission from Cancer Council Australia to FASANZ’s Proposal P1016 – Hydrocyanic acid in Apricot Kernels and other Foods, [website], 2015, https://www.cancer.org.au/content/cancer_control_policy/Submissions%20to%20Government/CCA%20submission%20FSANZ%20P1016%20-%20Hydrocyanic%20acid%20in%20Apricot%20Kernels%20&%20other%20Foods.pdf, (accessed 27 March 2017). 2 --, ‘Poisoning incidents from hydrocyanic acid (HCN) in apricot kernels and regulation of HCN in general foods internationally (at Approval) – Proposal P1016’, supporting document, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, 2014. 3,5,7 Soto-Blanco B, Stegelmeier BL, Pfister JA, et al. (2008). "Comparative effects of prolonged administration of cyanide, thiocy-

anate and chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) to goats". Journal of Applied Toxicology. 28 (3): 356–63.

4 FSANZ, FSANZ warns against consuming raw apricot kernels, [website], 2011, http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/media/Pages/mediareleases/mediareleases2011/fsanzwarnsagainstcon5338.aspx, (accessed 27 March 2017).

6 --, ‘COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Proposal P1016’, supporting document, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, 2015. 8 Curation Staff, conversation with Natalie Aked, 2017, Australian National Herbarium, Canberra. Additional Resources Used Buell, P.D. and E.N. Anderson, A Soup for the Qan, Leiden, Brill, 2010. FSANZ, Apricot kernels (raw), [website], 2017, http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/safety/Pages/Apricot-kernels-raw.aspx, (accessed 27 March 2017). Heath Canada, Cyanide in Bitter Apricot Kernels, [website], 2009, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/securit/2009-apricots-abricots/index-eng.php, (accessed 27 March 2017).

Sheftalovich, Z., Choice Backs Apricot Kernel Ban: Apricot kernel warning: they can kill, [website], 2015, https://www.choice.com.au/health-and-body/conditions/cancer/articles/choice-backs-killer-apricot-kernel-ban, (accessed 10 April 2017).