Алани
Thanks to its geographical location and the favorable climatic conditions marking it, the Armenian territory produces an abundance of high quality fruits.
This is the reason why Armenian dried fruit is highly venerated even outside the country; there are many types of fruits and drying methods.
The Gegharkunik Province, a big part of which is covered by the Sevan Lake, is situated in the eastern part of the country, bordering the Caucasus. Many ethnic groups (for example the Molokhan of Christian Faith and Russian origin) live in this border area, and its gastronomy is widely influenced by the Near East, which is perceived especially in the sweets and the use of dried fruits. This is the area in which alani are prepared. This is the local term for sundried peaches stuffed with nuts.
During late spring and early summer, peaches are harvested and pitted manually; the peach is then slid onto a string using the resulting hole. This way, a sort of chain is created, which is then hung up to dry.After a few days of drying, the peaches are stuffed with a mass made of ground nuts, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom; they are then hung up again to dry for a couple more weeks.
With each sun dried Alani sold on a local marked, the risk of its disappearance increases, as there are other, more efficient and faster ways to dry the fruit compared to the traditional process; additionally, the diffusion of modern refrigeration is reducing the traditional knowledge surrounding conservation practices.
