Pruna Armenia

Roman apricots stewed with cumin, wine, honey, and pepper: a first-century preparation in the manner of Apicius, the oldest Western recipe for the Armenian apple

Origin: Ancient Rome

From the journey of Apricot.

The apricot arrived in Rome in the early imperial period (Pliny the Elder notes that the malum armeniacum was first grown in Roman gardens only forty years before his time, in the reign of Augustus) and quickly found a place in the Roman kitchen alongside the other sweet stone fruits that the Roman cooks stewed and sauced with honey, vinegar, and warming spices. The recipes attributed to Apicius, compiled in the fourth or fifth century CE but drawing on much older culinary practice, contain a method for preserved stone fruits with cumin, honey, mint, pepper, wine, and a little raisin wine (passum) that was applied generically to the pruna of the Roman orchard. This preparation is a characteristic expression of the Roman sweet-savoury principle: the honey and raisin wine add sweetness, the pepper and cumin add warmth and savouriness, the vinegar or wine adds acidity, and the whole achieves a balance that is simultaneously condiment, relish, and dessert — a fruit preparation that sits comfortably alongside roasted meats and also works well as a simple sweet at the end of the meal. The pruna armenia given here follows the Apician spirit closely while using fresh apricots, which were available in Rome during the summer season and which the Roman kitchen unquestionably cooked as well as dried.

Ingredients

Fruit

  • 800 g firm-ripe apricots, halved and stoned

Liquid

  • 100 ml dry white wine

Sweet

  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp raisin wine (passum) or sweet sherry; substitute additional honey if unavailable

Acid

  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Spice

  • 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 0.25 tsp ground black pepper, freshly ground

Herb

  • 3 sprigs fresh mint, leaves only

Seasoning

  • 0.5 tsp fine salt

Finish

  • 1 tsp olive oil (to finish)

Method

  1. Combine the white wine, honey, raisin wine, vinegar, cumin, pepper, and salt in a wide, heavy pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the honey.
  2. Add the apricot halves, cut side down. Cook over medium-low heat for 8–12 minutes, basting the fruit with the simmering liquid, until the apricots are just tender and beginning to colour slightly but still hold their shape.
  3. Scatter the mint leaves over the fruit and turn the apricots once. Cook for a further 2 minutes. The liquid should have reduced to a light, fragrant syrup that coats the fruit.
  4. Arrange the apricot halves on a serving dish, pour the syrup over them, and finish with a thread of olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature, alongside roasted meats (particularly pork, duck, or lamb) or as a simple dessert with soft fresh cheese.

Notes

Passum, the reduced sweet wine of the Roman kitchen, can be approximated with sweet sherry, Marsala, or a small amount of verjuice with extra honey. The Roman recipes are deliberately open to interpretation in quantities: taste and adjust as you go, seeking the characteristic Roman balance of sweet, sour, warm spice, and herbal freshness. For a more savoury version, increase the pepper and vinegar; for a more dessert-like preparation, increase the honey and omit the vinegar. Serve with soft goat's cheese and flatbread for a simple modern approximation of the Roman mezze table.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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