This January 9 food holiday celebrates a fruit that ripens in early summer but is commonly dried and eaten throughout the year.

Similar to a peach, the apricot has a velvety surface that is firmer and more of a golden orange in hue. Its flavor is less sweet and more tart than the peach.

Observed primarily in the United States, Apricot Day encourages appreciation of this unique fruit's cultural and culinary significance.

Originating in northeastern China some 4,000 years ago, the apricot spread across Asia and Europe through trade routes like the Silk Road, eventually reaching the Americas in the 16th century.

Today, 95% of American apricots are grown in the San Joaquin Valley of California.