P Is For Pistachio

There is something quietly theatrical about the pistachio. Crack open its pale shell and you are greeted by a kernel of the most improbable green, tucked away like a small emerald waiting to be discovered. It is a nut that has never needed to shout for attention. Its colour does the talking, and its flavour, rich, faintly sweet and unmistakably its own, does the rest.

Native to the arid lands stretching from Central Asia through to the Middle East, the pistachio has been cultivated for thousands of years, long before it found its way onto the marble counters of Parisian patisseries or into the gelato cases of Sicily. Archaeological evidence suggests it was enjoyed as far back as the Bronze Age, and it has since travelled the world with a kind of quiet confidence, adapting itself to Persian rice dishes, Levantine pastries, Italian confectionery and, more recently, the discerning kitchens of modern Britain.

A Nut With A Story To Tell

What sets the pistachio apart from its relatives in the nut world is its versatility. Where almonds tend toward the mild and walnuts toward the robust, the pistachio occupies a delicious middle ground. It can be savoury, crushed over a plate of roasted lamb or folded through a grain salad, or it can be sweet, ground into a paste for cakes and ice creams that has become something of an obsession among pastry chefs in recent years.

Much of the world's supply now comes from Iran, the United States and Turkey, with California's Central Valley producing vast quantities thanks to a climate that mimics the hot, dry summers and cool winters the tree prefers. Yet for all this scale, there remains something artisanal about the way pistachios are still harvested and processed, with careful attention paid to shell colour, kernel size and that all important shade of green.

In the kitchen, the pistachio has enjoyed something of a renaissance. What was once reserved for the occasional Christmas tin or a scattering atop a Middle Eastern dessert has become a genuine star ingredient, prized by chefs for the depth it brings to both plates and menus. Its natural oils lend themselves beautifully to pastes and butters, while its subtle sweetness makes it a natural partner for chocolate, citrus and rosewater alike.

There is also a certain glamour attached to the pistachio that few other nuts can claim. Perhaps it is the colour, perhaps it is the price, but a dish finished with a scattering of chopped pistachios always feels a touch more considered, a touch more luxurious.

Fun Facts About Pistachios

• Pistachio trees can live and produce fruit for well over a century, with some orchards in the Middle East reportedly still yielding nuts after several hundred years.
  

• The pistachio is technically a seed rather than a true nut, belonging to the same family as the mango and the cashew.
  

• Pistachios are sometimes called the smiling nut in parts of the Middle East and the happy nut in China, a nod to the way their shells split open to reveal the kernel inside.
  

• It takes an entire year for a pistachio tree to produce its crop, and even then trees tend to bear a heavy harvest only every other year, a pattern known as alternate bearing.

Using Pistachios In The Kitchen

1. Blitz them into a fine paste with a little sugar and oil to create a base for cakes, ice creams and fillings.
   

2. Crush them coarsely and use as a coating for lamb cutlets or firm white fish before searing.
   

3. Scatter them over a bowl of whipped ricotta or labneh with honey and orange zest for a simple but elegant starter.
   

4. Fold chopped pistachios through cooked rice or couscous with dried fruit and fresh herbs for a fragrant side dish.

The pistachio proves that great things often come in small packages. Whether stirred into a dessert, scattered over a savoury dish or simply enjoyed on their own, these little green kernels bring colour, character and a touch of indulgence to whatever they touch.

As the food writer M.F.K. Fisher once observed:

"There is a particular kind of pleasure that comes from the simplest foods, prepared with care and eaten with attention. The pistachio, in all its quiet brilliance, is a fine reminder of that truth."