Persian Dried Fruits Guide: Raisins, Prunes, Mulberries & More

Persian dried fruit (miveh khoshk) is a pantry staple across Iran and Afghanistan — sun-dried the traditional way to concentrate natural sweetness and tartness with no added sugar. It’s eaten as a snack on its own, mixed into ajil, or cooked directly into rice and stews. Here’s a guide to the full lineup.

Raisins (Keshmesh)

Persian raisins come in several colors, each with a slightly different flavor and texture. Shop Green Raisin, Red Raisin, or Black Raisin (Maviz) — the darkest, richest of the three.

Prunes & Plums (Aloo Bokhara)

Sour-sweet dried plums, eaten as a snack or simmered into stews and rice for a tart edge. Shop Golden Prune, Afghani Prune, or Baraghan Prune.

Dried sour cherries are another tart favorite — shop Dried Sour Cherry.

Apricots (Zardaloo)

Naturally sweet and chewy, Persian dried apricots range from whole to sliced. Shop Whole Apricot, Dried Sliced Apricot, Gholang (a distinct whole-apricot variety), or Apricot Roll — pressed apricot sheets, similar in format to lavashak. Ready to eat straight from the bag or chopped into rice dishes.

Mulberries (Toot)

Delicate, naturally sweet with almost no tartness — a favorite for snacking and gifting. Shop White Mulberry or Black Mulberry, the deeper, slightly earthier of the two.

Figs (Anjeer)

Chewy and richly sweet, Persian and Afghan dried figs are a classic tea-time snack. Shop Afghan Fig or Dried Shirazi Fig.

Barberries (Zereshk)

Tiny, intensely tart red berries — essential for zereshk polo, shirin polo, and tahchin garnish. Shop Dried Barberries (Zereshk).

Oleaster (Senjed)

A mealy, date-like dried fruit with a distinct sweet-tannic flavor — one of the seven symbolic Haft-Sin items at Nowruz. Shop Dried Oleaster (Senjed).

Jujube (Annab)

A sweet, chewy dried date-like fruit, often used in traditional remedies as well as snacking. Shop Jumbo Jujube (Annab).

Banana Chips

Crisp, lightly sweet banana chips round out the dried fruit and snack lineup. Shop Banana Chips.

How Dried Fruit Compares Nutritionally

Dried fruit sits in an awkward spot in most people’s thinking: healthier than candy, but somehow suspect because it is sweet. The published comparison is more favourable than that reputation suggests.

A study in Nutrients analysed 1,497 commercially available fruit snacks sold in the United States between 2017 and 2022, scoring nine product categories with the Nutrient Rich Food (NRF6.4) model. Dried fruit came out on top — the highest nutrient density score, the greatest fiber content, and the lowest added sugar of any category tested. Only dried fruit, fruit purée and canned fruit packed in juice met the criteria for nutrient-dense, higher-fiber, lower-added-sugar snacking.

The trade-off is concentration rather than composition. Drying removes water, so everything left behind — sugars, fiber, minerals — is packed into a smaller volume. The USDA accounts for this in its serving guidance: a quarter-cup of dried fruit counts as the equivalent of a half-cup of fresh fruit. That is the number worth remembering when you are eating handfuls of mulberries straight from the bag.

Does Dried Fruit Damage Your Teeth?

This is the most common objection to dried fruit, and the evidence behind it is weaker than the reputation. A review in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition examined the claim directly and concluded that the perception that dried fruits are sticky, cling to teeth and harm dental health rests on weak evidence. Studies of proxy measures such as plaque pH showed inconsistent effects, and the authors found no demonstration that dried fruit clears the mouth worse than other snack foods.

They also flagged factors pointing the other way that need proper study: chewing dried fruit stimulates saliva flow, and dried fruits contain antimicrobial compounds and sorbitol. The fair summary is that this is unsettled science rather than a settled verdict in either direction — ordinary dental hygiene advice still applies, but singling out dried fruit is not well supported.

Why Traditional Sun-Drying Matters

Drying is one of the oldest preservation methods there is, and the logic is simple: removing water removes what microbes need to grow. That is why properly dried fruit keeps for months at room temperature without preservatives, and why the fruit must be dried thoroughly — under-dried fruit retains enough moisture to spoil or mould.

It also explains the storage rules. Dried fruit fails in two directions: it dries out further and hardens if left open to air, or it reabsorbs moisture in humid conditions and becomes prone to spoilage. Airtight is the answer to both; cool and dark slows the colour and flavour loss that light and heat drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular Persian dried fruits?

Raisins, dried apricots, mulberries, and barberries (zereshk) are among the most commonly eaten — barberries specifically because they’re essential to signature rice dishes like zereshk polo.

How are Persian dried fruits traditionally eaten?

Most are eaten plain as a snack, mixed into ajil (Persian trail mix), or served alongside tea. Some, like barberries, oleaster, and prunes, are also cooked directly into rice dishes and stews.

Do Persian dried fruits contain added sugar?

Traditionally sun-dried Persian fruit has no added sugar — the sweetness is the fruit’s own, concentrated by drying. Added sugar and sulphite preservatives are more common in industrially processed dried fruit, so the ingredient label remains the reliable check for any given product.

Is dried fruit healthier than other fruit snacks?

By the measures used in an analysis of 1,497 US fruit snacks (2017–2022), dried fruit scored highest for nutrient density and fiber and lowest for added sugar among nine categories — ahead of gummy-style fruit snacks and fruit-flavoured products. It is more concentrated than fresh fruit, though: the USDA counts a quarter-cup of dried fruit as equivalent to a half-cup of fresh.

Is dried fruit bad for your teeth?

A published review found that belief rests on weak evidence, with inconsistent results from proxy measures such as plaque pH and no demonstration that dried fruit clears the mouth worse than other snacks. The evidence is genuinely limited rather than conclusive in either direction.

How should I store dried fruits to keep them fresh?

Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place; for longer storage, the refrigerator or freezer helps preserve texture and flavor for months.

Sources

• Nutrient Density, Added Sugar, and Fiber Content of Commercially Available Fruit Snacks in the United States from 2017 to 2022 — Nutrients. Analysis of 1,497 products across nine categories using the NRF6.4 model.
• Dried fruit and dental health — International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2016. Review of the evidence behind common claims about dried fruit and tooth decay.
• USDA dietary guidance on dried fruit serving equivalence (¼ cup dried ≈ ½ cup fresh).

This article is general food and nutrition information, not medical or dietary advice.

Shop the full Dried Fruits category at Goaldees (also searched as Goldis), shipped fresh, nationwide across the US.