Crack open an apricot pit and you'll find a seed that looks, smells, and tastes a lot like an almond. Apricot kernels are used to flavor the Italian liqueur amaretto (a name that means “bitter love”). They are also an important herb in Chinese medicine and are known as “xing ren” (bitter apricot seed).
Like other oily nuts and seeds, xing ren has a lubricating quality that has been used for centuries to address hot and dry conditions at both ends of the body. Xing ren’s most common use is to treat dry lungs with a chronic cough, but it is also used to relieve constipation.
