February 26th recognizes all things pistachio and National Pistachio Day is the day to celebrate! The day is set aside for all pistachio lovers to eat their favorite nut all day long. For those who do not eat pistachios, buy some and give them to someone who does. Crack them open and eat them up or enjoy them in ice cream or your favorite pistachio dessert!
- 7000 BC – Archeological evidence suggests that pistachios were being consumed in Turkey during this time.
- 700 BC – According to legend, pistachios were featured in the fabled Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built about 700 B.C. by King Nebuchadnezzar for his wife Amytis.
- 500 BC – pistachios are only one of two nuts that are actually mentioned in the Old Testament portions of the Bible which are believed to have been assembled some time around 500 BC
- 1st Century AD – In the first century A.D., Emperor Vitellius introduced Rome to the pistachio. Apicius, Rome’s Julia Child of the first century, includes pistachios in his classical cookbook.
- 1880s – Pistachios are imported to America for citizens of Middle Eastern descent.
- Mid 20th Century – importers dyed pistachio shells red to hide stains from traditional harvesting methods. This made them more appealing to consumers.
- 1930s – Experimental pistachio trees are planted in California.
- 1980s – the red dye went by the wayside and now they are sold in their natural color.
- 2003 – “Pistachios are an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper, and manganese and a good source of protein, fiber, thiamine, and phosphorus. Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” US Food and Drug Administration, July 2003
- 2005 – Pistachio crop value hits $573 million.
- Iran produces more pistachios than any other country in the world with over 200k tons per year.
- Iran, claims to have a 700-year-old pistachio trees! A new tree takes between 7 and 10 years to mature and bear fruit.
- All pistachio shells are naturally beige. Some companies dye nuts red or green if nuts are inferior or for consumer demand.
- California produces about 300 million pounds of pistachios each year, accounting for 98 percent of America’s production.
- Pistachio shells typically split naturally when ripe.
- In the Middle East, people call the pistachio the smiling nut.
- In China, people call the pistachio the happy nut.
- In India, pistachios are known as the “hot nut.” People believe eating them during winter warms the body, making them a favorite cold-weather snack.
- The earliest spelling of pistachio are “pistace” and “pistacia”. The word pistachio comes from medieval Italian pistacchio, which is from classical Latin pistacium and ancient Greek pistákion and pistákē (from Middle Persian). In Persian, the word is attested as pesteh.
- Pistachio are a member of the cashew family and are closely related to mangos, sumac, and even poison ivy.
- 98% of the pistachios produced in the United States are from California. Iran is the largest producer of pistachios in the world.
- Humans have eaten pistachio nuts for at least 9,000 years.
- Perhaps a true royal nut, the Queen of Sheba loved pistachios. In fact, she demanded that the entire region’s pistachio harvest be set aside for her.
- A serving (1 oz or 49 nuts) has 160 calories and 6 grams of protein – about the same as an egg.
- Pistachio are mentioned in the Old Testament in Genesis 43:11, and are one of only two nuts mentioned in Scripture. The other nut mentioned is the almond.
- Use the “pistachio principle” to lose weight. The “Pistachio Principle” suggests eating in-shell pistachios slows consumption. The discarded shells act as a visual reminder, reducing overall calorie intake.
- In many countries, such as Israel and Russia, hearing the cracking of the pistachio nut was viewed as a very good omen. And in the Middle East specifically, they regarded the sound as an omen for a happy relationship. So naturally couples would meet under pistachio trees, waiting around for those nuts to assure them that their relationship was going to be a successful one.
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