Pistachios

Guide Note

Pistachios come from Pistacia vera, a small tree native to the Middle East. Like Shakespeare's Hamlet, people think they're nuts when they actually aren't: The pistachio is actually the seed of a red or yellow plum-like fruit whose flesh is removed during processing.

Fast Facts

1. Native to mountainous regions
2. High in Lutein
3. Fruit is edible and eaten in Greece
4. Favorite of Queen of Sheba
5. Traditionally dyed red since antiquity
6. Use of dyes has plummeted due to health concerns

The pistachio has been cultivated since ancient times, but was considered a rare delicacy in many trading centers, especially in Europe, until fairly recently. Commercial cultivation has also been slow to spread, despite pistachios' popularity: California only began producing them in quantity in the mid-1970s. Due to their relative expensiveness, pistachios are rarely sold in mixed nuts assortments, and are instead commonly available alone, both shelled and unshelled, plain or salted. In the U.S. they are a popular ingredient in ice cream and other confections, while in Middle Eastern cuisines they are also widely used in savory dishes.