Post on 09-Jul-2020
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).