January 26, 2016 is National Pistachio Day in the United States. So what better way to celebrate this popular snack by noshing on a handful of these nutritional nuts?
The pistachio is one of America’s favorite snack foods. Fact: More than 80 percent of the 250 million pounds of annual pistachio production that is sold in the United States is salted and in opened shells. That makes for one popular snack, and the demand is growing – thanks in large part to innovative commercials over the past few years featuring Stephen Colbert, Snoop Dogg, Manny Pacquiao, PSY, and others.
But it’s not just the U.S. that loves pistachios, but the world as well, especially Israel where it is consumed as a snack, in savory dishes such as pesto and pilafs, and as a nut meat in sweet dishes such as baklava and kadayif. Interestingly enough, Israel is actually considered to be the largest per capita consumer of pistachios in the world.
History of the pistachio
The pistachio has been a nutritious edible, popular as early as Biblical times. One of only two nuts that are noted in the Bible (Genesis 43:11) – the other being almond – the pistachio thrived and grew wild in the dry deserts of ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) and the Holy Lands of the Middle East.
Back in the days of the Queen of Sheba, legend says she required all pistachios grown on her lands to be retained for herself and her court. Obviously, she liked the nut. The pistachio would eventually reach Greece through the conquests of Alexander the Great, then would spread through movements of the Roman Empire, Muslim expansion, and the Crusades. In the Middle Ages the Levant trade was widespread and since the Venetian Republic traded closely with pistachio-producing Syria, they readily accepted the delectable into their diet.
Pistachios also spread eastward – on to India and China. Then they spread westward on to Sicily, where Arab-influenced desserts from their two centuries of occupation would become a favorite sweet.
Because of a trade embargo imposed on Iranian pistachios as a result of their revolution and precarious teetering toward nuclear power, the U.S. would eventually become the world’s second largest producer and exporter of pistachio nuts in the 1990s. Today, they are second to Iran in worldwide production.
Pistachios require dry heat
Pistachio trees grow well in the heat with summer temperatures hovering around 100 degree Farenheit. They also require an arid semi-desert environment. So, it should be no surprise that most U.S. pistachios are grown in California. In fact, about 98 percent of pistachio production is grown in the deserts of southern California. The balance is harvested in Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas. (New Mexico production is centered in the Alamogordo area, with McGinn’s and Eagle Ranch producing the bulk).
Another requirement for pistachio trees to grow well is that they need a low humidity climate and cool winters – but not too cold such as might be seen at elevations above 4,500 feet. That explains why the Southwest in addition to the San Joaquin Valley in California are ideal for pistachio trees. (Irrigation is also essential as pistachio growth requires a high amount of water).
Pistachios worldwide
The United States is now the world’s second biggest producer of pistachios, just after Iran. (Syria, Turkey, and China are also big producers of pistachios.) The domestic production started in the 1970’s, with trees yielding harvest around seven years after planting and producing for another 75 years. In California alone, farmers have doubled pistachio acreage over the past 10 years and have grown 20 percent between the years 2012-2014, largely because of profitably. Yet that belies the drought conditions California continues to experience and the need for plenty of water to produce plenty of pistachios.
Part of this rapid growth was California farmers taking advantage of the ban on Iranian pistachios to the United States back in the late 1970s. Keep in mind that prior to the Iranian revolution, Iran dominated the world market. The trade embargo was imposed on Iran as a result of their aggressive pursuit for nuclear power and refusal to curtail their activities before world pressure.
New Mexico quirkiness
Pistachios have taken on new flavors, especially in the state of New Mexico, where green chilis and spices reign supreme. This is where the world’s largest pistachio also lies.
If you should be driving along U.S. 54 between Alamogordo and Tularosa, you’ll encounter the world’s largest pistachio at McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch. Stop for a ‘selfie’ in front of the iconic statue dedicated by Tim McGinn. He erected it in honor and memory of his father, Tom McGinn, who originally founded the pistachio and grape-producing farm.
It’s well worth a stop because you’ll find a bevy of pistachio-related items, including atomic hot chili, sweet & spicy, chocolate-covered, and other innovative flavors. And if you enjoy a change-up in your wine, be sure and try their signature Pistachio wine – a blend of white zinfandel grapes and pistachio extract. The result is a semi-sweet, one of a kind wine.
FACTOID: Did you know that red pistachios are not natural, rather, they are dyed that color to hide blemishes.
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