Pistachios have been on our planet for over 80 million years, and we humans have been nourishing ourselves with them for at least 9,000 of those. These days California is the world’s second largest producer of this green and purple nut, whose origins are found in Iran, which is still the main exporter.

They are grown in orchards and are ripe for the picking by early autumn. While the fruit of the pistachio tree may look like bunches of grapes, upon closer inspection one finds that the grape-like clusters are actually husks that house the pistachios that we know and love. As they ripen, their shells expand with an audible pop! making it easier for us to open them.

At only 3 calories per nut, pistachios are a superfood, loaded with thiamin, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and the most fiber and vitamin B6 out of any other nut. Pistachios also have the most lutein out of any nut, which is an antioxidant that preserves the health of our eyes (in fact, high levels of lutein are found in many green and yellow foods).

Supermarkets often sell pistachios in a variety of flavors, either shelled or not. Among the numerous possibilities in pistachio preparation, ice cream is one of the most popular. However, pistachios are used in desserts and main dishes alike. Explore our recipe ideas for saffron risotto with pistachio oil, and lamb, barley, and pistachio kofte, and seen what you can come up with!

By Anastasia Dyakovskaya