Dry fruits, apart from being extremely nutritious are that rare kind of food that are delicious too. We will give you a list that you can go through and use for an energy boost now and then.
When we think dry fruits, our mind instantly jumps to walnuts, cashews, almonds, raisins and the like. Most of us have a fixed idea about them, but the truth is there's a lot more to dry fruits than we think and know. We will give you a comprehensive list that will not only increase your knowledge but also give you options to try in your culinary endeavors.
Types of Dried Fruits
Dry fruits can be classified into two types: the fruits that are actually 'dried' naturally or mechanically, and the ones that are in the form of seeds or nuts.
Fruits that are Dried
First, let's see which are the fleshy fruits that are dried. The drying process may be completely natural (solar drying) or done using machines, to extract the moisture from the fruits. Some of these are dry fruits with seeds, while some have their seeds removed. Some come in both types.
For instance, dates can be found with seeds and even without them. Often, some of these fruits are also candied. This makes them a special delicacy, and are used as an additive in desserts like ice creams, cakes, puddings, and custards.
Bananas (turned into chips after drying)
Apples (kept as rings or dices)
Apricots
Blueberries
Figs
Date Fruit
Plums
Papaya
Pears
Prunes
Peaches
Pineapples
Cherries
Grapes
Raisins
Strawberries
Persimmons
Kiwifruit
Cranberries
Mangoes
Nectarines
Sultanas
Currants
Nuts and Seeds
The other type of dry fruits are essentially types of edible nuts and other seeds. There have been a lot of studies that prove that the nutritional value of nuts is very high, and that is one of the major factors contributing to their wide consumption. Given here is the list of dry fruits which are in the form of nuts and seeds.
Pumpkin Seeds
Chestnut
Almonds
Cashews
Walnuts
Hazelnuts
Pistachio
Peanuts (Groundnuts)
Brazil Nuts
Macadamia Nuts
Sunflower Seeds
Pine Nuts
Pecans
Acorns
Beech
Dried Coconut
Bopple Nut
Beef Nut
Monkey Nut
Red Nut
Uses of Dry Fruits
Dry fruits are a very popular gift item during festive seasons in Asia. Apart from being good gift items, they serve another very important purpose. The nutrition in dry fruits is very high. Their consumption has quite a number of health benefits. A few of them have been mentioned here.
Vitamins: Dry fruits are a rich source of vitamins. These vitamins are Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin B6.
Minerals: Consuming dry fruits also increases the mineral content in the body. These minerals include calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, etc.
Pure Nutrients: Another important benefit of eating them is that eating one portion of dry fruits is equal to eating almost seven to eight times that of fresh fruit. Since the fruits are dried, the water is extracted, and only the basic nutritional contents remain undiluted in them.
Energy Boost: Eating a dry fruit or two when you feel low on energy is a very good idea. Eating them provides an instant gush of energy to the body, thus helping it to remain alert.
Proteins: The dry fruits given earlier, also contain proteins, which are extremely essential for repairing the wear and tear of the body.
Fiber: The dry fruits that we consume also contain plenty of dietary fibers. This fiber is what helps the easy, quick and problem-free digestion of food.
Memory: Many dry fruits (nuts), especially almonds, have also been proven to enhance memory.
That was a comprehensive compilation of a list of dry fruits. Though adding these in our regular diet is important, care must be taken that they are not consumed in excess. They contain substances that raise the level of heat in the body (not body temp.), and too much heat in the body can lead to other problems. So consume them in moderation and be healthy!