Pistachio

In pistachios, ripeness, shell opening and kernel shape are important. Green color and country do not replace variety and lot control.

Food product - stone fruit kernel; The outer soft shell is removed after collection. The opening of the hard shell and the rupture of the outer shell are different processes.

The crop has an alternation of more and less productive years. Therefore, the volume of the harvest is not a constant characteristic of the country.

History

From Western Asia to new gardens

The history of the cultivated pistachio is associated with Western Asia; cultivation spread throughout the Mediterranean and into California.

Why fast processing is needed

After harvesting, the soft shell is removed and the nut is dried. The time before processing and the condition of the shell are important for the quality of the raw material.

Regions and differences

Documented growing regions

The map shows examples and important areas, not all countries or global market shares. Coordinates are approximate. The origin and characteristics of our batch are confirmed separately.

California, San Joaquin Valley, USA

A region with hot summers where varietal pistachio orchards are grown.

Varieties differ in ripening time and the proportion of open shells.

Compare the size, opening and presence of closed nuts.

Kerman, Iran

One of the traditional areas; the combination of altitude and climate provides cooling winters and hot summers.

The variety and seasonal conditions affect the opening and development of the kernel.

Request variety name and batch sorting.

Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Siirt, Türkiye

Main traditional zones of south-eastern Turkey.

The USDA separately describes the Siirt commercial variety in comparison with the Gaziantep and Sanliurfa forms.

Choose kernels by size and purpose, not just by the general word “Turkish”.

Attica, Greece

A Mediterranean example of growing a crop at low altitude.

The height of the garden in itself does not determine quality: the combination of winter and summer is important.

For the recipe, check the presence of salt and roasting.

• Afghanistan
• Iraq
• Syria
• Italy

Types and processing

In an open shell

In many varieties, the shell naturally separates when ripe.

Snack; Consider the portion according to the peeled kernels.

Purified core

The shape is convenient for grinding and precise weighing.

Cream, pasta, pastries.

Fried salty

This is a finished culinary treatment, not a characteristic of a species or region.

Snacks; for sweet cream, check the salt first.

Drying this product

After removing the soft shell, the nut is dried for storage. Drying and subsequent roasting are separate stages. About the method

FAO describes solar drying as a post-harvest treatment option; it cannot be confirmed by the appearance of the finished nut. About the method

How to choose

• Class A does not disclose the variety and proportion of closed nuts.
• For cream, choose a form without salt according to the marking.
• Do not include the shell mass in the food portion.

In the catalog

• Roasted salted pistachios A class