Pistachio history
The pistachio is the seed fruit of pistacia vera,
originating in Persia. The English name pistachio is
derived from pisteh, its Persian name. Also known as the
green almond, the pistachio is related to the cashew.
The tall trees thrive in stony, poor soil under high
heat and with little or no rainfall, but cannot tolerate
humidity or excessive moisture conditions. These trees
live for centuries with no care necessary. In fact, Iran
boasts of a 700-year-old tree still living!
Legend has it that lovers met beneath the trees to hear
the pistachios crack open on moonlit nights for the
promise of good fortune.
Pistachios grow on trees in grape-like clusters and are
encased in an outer skin, or hull. When pistachios
ripen, the hull turns rosy and the shell within splits
naturally, indicating they are ready for harvest,
usually in September.
The hanging gardens of Babylon were said to have
contained pistachio trees during the reign of King
Merodach-baladan about 700 BCE. Along with almonds,
pistachios enjoy a rare mention in the Old Testament as
the only two nuts found in the bible. "So their father,
Jacob, finally said to them, 'If it must be, then do
this: put some of the best products of the land in your
bags and take them down to the man as gifts--a little
balm, a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some
pistachio nuts and almonds.'" (Genesis 43:11)
Not much went to waste in ancient times. Even the oil
from the pistachio was pressed and used for cooking as
well as for flavoring desserts. The delightful green
nutmeats had prominence in tasty, historical desserts
such as Baklava, Nougat.
In biblical times chopped pistachios were added to fruit
compotes, puddings, and stuffings, while the nuts in
their ground-up form added body and flavor to many
savory sauces. Today, pistachios are a familiar American
snack, while in Iranian cooking, the nuts are often
added to rice dishes along with raisins or currants,
herbs and saffron.
In the first century AD the pistachio made its debut in
Rome via the Emperor Vitellius. Apicius, Rome's Julia
Child of the period, mentions pistachios in his
classical cook book but denies us any of the recipes in
which he includes them. The nuts traveled from Iran to
Italy in the first century AD and spread throughout the
Mediterranean from there.
The Persians used the pistachio abundantly, not only for
desserts, but also in ground-up form to thicken and
enhance sauces. The Arabs learned a few culinary secrets
from the Persians and included pistachios in their
dessert delicacies such as Baklava, a rich treat made
from buttered filo dough alternately layered with nuts
and bathed in a sweet syrup after baking. Pistachios
were willing travelers and held up well on distant
journeys, trekking from Persia to China via the Silk
Route.
By the time pistachios were imported into Europe on a
regular basis during the Middle Ages, they were quite
expensive and not everyone could afford them. However,
in spite of their high cost, merchants of France had an
ample supply for anyone willing to splurge on the green
wonders. During the 16th century pistachios arrived in
England where they were not a raging gastronomic
success.
The pistachio tree contributes more than its nuts to
society. The tree oozes a resin, called terebinth, which
is collected and used in the making of turpentine. Wood
from the tree is an attractive, hard wood, dark red in
color and valued in cabinet making.
Pistachio legend and lore
According to tradition, Emperor Vitellius brought
the pistachio to Rome in A.D. 50. He would finish off
his meal by stuffing his mouth full of pistachios. The
Queen of Sheba was so fond of the nuts that she decreed
Assyria's limited output for her own uses, sometimes
giving them as gifts to her favorites at court. Her
subjects were barred from keeping any of the crops for
personal use.
Folklore
Test this out sometime: Share some pistachios with
your loved one and see if the nuts enhance your amorous
feelings. In the ancient days people of the Middle East
thought of pistachios as a liaison to love.
A picturesque tale that originated in the Middle East
describes two lovers in a romantic setting in a
beautiful grove of pistachio trees. They meet on a
moonlit night, sit under the trees that just happen to
have reached perfect maturity, and listen to the sound
of the little pistachio shells bursting open. Blessings
of good fortune, happiness, and abundance then befall
them.
The Queen of Sheba was convinced that pistachios were a
powerful aphrodisiac and ordered the pistachio harvest
of the best trees grown in Assyria to be used for her
and her royal guests only.
Pistachio tree
The pistachio tree bears a resemblance to an apple
tree with its appealing round shape and a trunk that may
be singular or multiple. Rather unique among nut bearing
trees, pistachios grow in clusters like grapes, each nut
enclosed in its own reddish-green hull instead of each
nut growing singularly.
The pistachio is a relative of both the cashew and the
mango. It is deciduous (drops its leaves each year) and
dioecious (comes in separate sexes and both a male and a
female tree are needed to produce edible nuts).
Pistachios trees are dioecious in nature, meaning that
the sex of some trees is male and some female, and that
both are needed for complete pollination. The female
trees produce the nuts while the male produces the
pollen. That seems not too unfamiliar from human
procreation. One male tree is needed for every six
female trees. Male and female pistachio trees are often
grafted together to bring about pollination. The farmer
also relies on the wind to aid in pollination in order
for fruit to "set," or begin to develop
The trees are wind-pollinated rather than
bee-pollinated, with the male trees bearing pollen and
the female trees bearing the nuts. Like many other nut
trees, the pistachio is alternate bearing — producing a
heavy crop one year and a lighter crop the next.
Pistachios mature rather slowly, reaching significant
production a full seven to ten years after planting.
Peak production, it is believed, is reached at about 20
years.
Climate also plays a role in pistachio production. Too
mild a winter, or heavy rainfall during the pollination
period, can reduce yield. Pistachio trees require
approximately 1,000 hours of temperatures at 45 degrees
F. or below bringing about the dormancy necessary for
good production.
Growing
Pistachio trees will often grow in poor soil where
other trees will not survive. More important to their
survival is the proper climate. Pistachio trees thrive
in hot dry summer weather and prefer cool winters. They
do not do well in humid or damp areas.
The pistachio tree takes five to eight years to begin
producing "fruit,' but between the 15th and 20th year
they reach maturity and bear fully. Alternate years
produce a heavy crop, the off year bearing very little
fruit and sometimes no fruit at all. The familiar
pistachio nut is actually the seed of the plant. The
trees, like many humans, are sensitive to extreme
conditions such as drought, or excessive rain, heat,
cold, and high winds. The trees develop a brownish green
flower in early summer. When ripe, in late summer or
early autumn, pistachios split open along their seams
called sutures. Those trees that bear a predominance of
pistachios that are closed indicate growth conditions
that were less than perfect, such as irregular watering.
The bright green coloring of the pistachio is completely
natural. A deep green color is an indicator of the
highest quality nut and brings the best prices. Lesser
valued are those that range from yellow to light green.
The pistachio is a deciduous tree that can survive for
hundreds of years, and even as long as a century in just
the right climate. Sometimes introduced into landscapes
as ornamentals, pistachio trees stand out with their
attractive large, pointed, gray-green foliage that grows
two to four inches long.
