Kilao is a gift of GB in Pakistan, made by various dry fruits like walnuts, almonds, and apricot kernels. Hunza chocolate, made of grapes juice and wheat flour is a basic ingredient to make Kilao dry fruit.
Kilao dry fruit
Kilao dry fruit is a king or supreme dry fruit of Gilgit-Baltistan made from dried fruits which are famous not only in Pakistan but all over the world for their nutrition and taste. Due to its usefulness and good taste, people eat it with great relish, and people who come for tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan also take this gift for their friends. Not only this but now this gift of Gilgit-Baltistan is also exported all over the world.
The method of making Kilao is very difficult and labor-intensive but the usefulness and taste of Kilao dry fruit obtained after this hard work and toil remove all your fatigue.
Types of Kilao dry fruit
Kilao is usually made in three ways, or so to speak, by three types of dried fruit, the first and most popular being walnut. Second, almonds are used in its preparation, and third, it is also made from apricot kernels.
Walnut Kilao
Walnut Kilao is one of the most widely prepared and eaten Kilao, that is made with the help of Hunza Chocolate to make walnut kernels more palatable and healthy. Same like Walnut Kilao, other Kilao dry fruits like almond and apricot are made in the same way but Walnut Kilao is the most famous in all its category.
Ingredients to Kilao
There are two constant ingredients between these three dry fruit as ingredients for making Kilao, one is black grape juice, and the other is wheat flour. You can use the juice of white grapes as well if you can't find black grapes. But in the original Kilao recipe or Hunza chocolate recipe, only juice of black grapes is used.
In Hunza, grapes ripen in the month of September or at the beginning of the winter season. And by the end of September, the people of Hunza take out the vines from the vines in the valley and store or sell them.
See Also
Why Gilgit-Baltistan is famous in tourists
Most healthiest people of Pakistan, People of Hunza
Places to visit in Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan
At the same time, people make Kilao dry fruit, so that its usefulness and flavor can be fully enjoyed in winter. Apart from this, the locals also earn foreign exchange by selling it in other cities of Pakistan and other countries of the world.
Kilao is known as a very important and essential food in winter and people living in Gilgit-Baltistan use Kilao as a basic food ingredient in winter.
Kilao dry fruit recipe
The grapes are first collected from the vines with the help of large baskets to make Kilao. And then they are washed by putting them in a large pool-like basin. After washing thoroughly, the people of the house extract fresh grape juice with the help of their hands and feet in the same pool, which keeps coming out with the help of a small pipe in the pool.
The basic principles of health and hygiene are taken care of in this process of extracting juice from grapes. And before extracting grape juice, it is necessary to take a good bath and wash your hands and feet. Also, if someone in the house is sick, he does not take part in the process.
Black grape juice is collected in a large vessel at the mouth of the pool pipe and the collected juice is cleaned with the help of muslin cloth to obtain pure and transparent juice.
The juice is then cooked in a large saucepan. And a little juice is separated so that wheat flour can be added to it.
On one side the old ladies of the house use to cook the juice of black grapes and on the other side, their daughters mix the flour in the juice.
The flour is slowly mixed in the grape juice and mixed constantly so that no lumps form in the juice. So much wheat flour is mixed in this juice that this juice becomes as thick and soft as honey.
Hunza Chocolate
And then the flour-mixed juice on the other side, they slowly add to the boiling juice. This process is also done with utmost care. The two are constantly mixed while pouring slowly. Both are cooked long enough to turn a light brown, chocolaty color. And then they slow down the stove.
As soon as this process is completed, the next and final step begins, namely dipping the dried fruits in it so that the cooked and wheat flour mixed grape juice, can be applied to these dry fruits completely. Due to its chocolaty color, it is known as Hunza chocolate.
As I mentioned, Kilao is made from three kinds of dry fruits, so these dried fruits are given like pearls in a necklace with the help of a needle and thread. A string or garland of these dried fruits is made and then hung on a wooden rod like a flower garland.
Then the dried fruits hanging on this wooden rod are dipped in the juice of the ripe grapes and with the help of a spoon, these dried fruits are well applied with this Hunza chocolate.
Finally, the Kilao dried fruit is placed in the sun to dry. As soon as it dries and cools, the Kilao dry fruit is ready to eat with immense taste.
Kilao dry fruit benefits
Humans should use dried fruits not only in winters but all over the year in all seasons. It is hidden a treasure trove of nutrients in dried fruits by nature that can impact positively one's physical and mental health.
Nutritionists say:, all dried are very rich in natural nutrients. They give positive results due to their high content of basic minerals and vitamins for human health.
According to nutritionists, One should use 3 to 4 walnuts on daily basis due to their richness in protein, vitamin E, minerals, omega-3s, and fatty acids, which are excellent food for heart health. And so having Kilao dry fruit makes ordinary dry fruits healthier, tastier, and amazing.
Almonds are the king of nuts. Rich in monounsaturated, Almonds are considered to be the best for heart, brain, and skin health. Almonds are rich in Vitamin E, Magnesium, and Potassium. Medical experts recommend at least 4 to 7 almonds on daily basis for your optimal health.
