The first time I ever saw pistachios they were in bright red shells. As a child, I thought they just grew that way. I had never seen such a colorful nut. There was a Mr. Peanut shop along the highway outside of Raleigh, North Carolina where I grew up. My parents—my father especially—loved peanuts so we would often stop at the Mr. Peanut shop if we were out that way.
One time I must have convinced my parents to buy me some of those bright red pistachios. I do remember that I had bright red fingers after eating them. Pistachios do not grow in a red shell; their shell is a rather natural tannish brown. Apparently for a period of time, they were dyed in the shell as the natural shell did not look very attractive to those marketing pistachios.
The next pistachios I discovered were in white shells. As I remember they were exceedingly salty as if they had been dipped in a white, salty brine. They were almost too salty, though it is hard to imagine that anyone in my birth family could find something TOO salty. I feel confident that loving salt must be a genetic trait of my family though not a very healthy one.
It would be many years later when I would meet pistachios in their natural color shells. Probably at a health food store. The good news is that pistachios now can be found in most grocery stores. I especially like the ones at Trader Joe’s and at Aldi’s here in Asheville.
I love pistachios and the good news is that they are very healthy. I am not sure the ones with the dyed red shells or the salty white shells fall into the healthy column, but pistachios in their natural shells get high ratings when it comes to healthy snacks.
You also can buy them unshelled which makes them more convenient for baking or shell-free snacking, but I, like many others, like the process of cracking the shell to release the tasty little greenish snack.
Pistachios are a member of the cashew family and are produced by a small tree (if you consider a tree that can grow up to 33 feet tall small) that first originated in Persia an estimated 10,000 years ago. Today they are grown in Greece, the United States, Iran, China, and Syria. They need a long hot summer to ripen well.
The pistachio is actually a seed, not a nut though many consider it a “culinary nut” if not a true “botanical nut.” The seed is inside a small fruit and it is the seed that is the edible part of the pistachio. The fruit has a hard, cream-colored exterior shell. The seed has a mauve-colored skin and light green flesh. When the fruit ripens, the shell abruptly splits partly open. This is known as dehiscence, and happens with an audible pop. Pistachio trees are usually grown in orchards just like other fruit trees and the trees may live to be over 300 years old.
Pistachios are loaded with nutrients and anti-oxidants, low in calories yet high in protein, promote healthy gut bacteria, may lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and are just quite delicious.
In Iran pistachios are called the “smiling nut” and in China they are known as the “happy nut.” Perhaps it is because of their health benefits or perhaps just because the crack on the side of the shell looks like a little smile.
Pistachios are even mentioned in the Bible. In the NRSV translation of Genesis 43:11:
Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry them down as a present to the man—a little balm and a little honey, gum, resin, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
Pistachios found their way to Europe in the Middle Ages and were primarily reserved for royalty. They were introduced to the United States in the 1800’s though commercial cultivation did not occur until the 1960’s. Today the United States is one of the world’s largest producers of pistachios.
I have never cooked with pistachios though there is a plethora of recipes ranging from pistachio cookies to a strawberry-pistachio salad to even a very green pistachio hummus if one just googles “cooking with pistachios.” I prefer them as a snack, eaten straight out of the shells. The only frustrating trait of the pistachio is the occasional one when you can’t crack open the shell without breaking off a fingernail (not pleasant).
Starbucks has on occasion offered pistachio lattes and apparently there is even a $ 200 perfume made with pistachios as well as an Italian spread similar to Nutella that is called Pistacchiosa.
As for me and my house, I think we will stick with cracking our pistachios right out of the shell and enjoying a truly healthy snack.
I too love pistachios but I do admit I hate cracking them open 'cause then what do I do with the shells to keep them separate from the nuts? It is confusing to me so I keep the shells in my hand and then have to find a trash can to dump them in as I eat. But I also find that if I buy the already shelled nuts then I eat to many, to fast. Hmm what a conundrum. I remember when they were bright red and your fingers turned red when eating them. That is so weird to think they dyed them red and we had no idea. As a child I thought that was how they grew! Enjoy your nuts!!!
love pistachios! and also carrots from your last blog. I eat pistachios almost every day....adds more flavor to my meals. Thanks Jeanne...