Pistachio

Pistachios are one of the world’s most beloved nuts. Their distinctive green fruits crop up in everything from salads to hot dishes and desserts, though they may be most popular on their own as a midday snack: dry-roasted and lightly salted to perfection. The ritual of cracking the nuts out of their cream-colored shells is almost as satisfying as the flavor itself, which is impressive, given tPistachio trees are hardy and can survive in poor soil and adverse weather conditions as long as there’s enough root drainage, but they do have two requirements: cool winters to break bud dormancy and long, hot summers with low humidity for proper ripening. This limits the areas of the world where they can be grown to three main locations—Turkey, Iran and California—which in turn limits production.he uniqueness of their rich, nutty, earthy taste. The taste is almost impossible to describe, and there’s really no other ingredient like them.

Usually, the pistachio varieties are classified according to their place of origin or culture. Each country has its own selections, whose main differences are the colour, flavour, size, period of harvesting and qualities.

Pistachio trees are hardy and can survive in poor soil and adverse weather conditions as long as there’s enough root drainage, but they do have two requirements: cool winters to break bud dormancy and long, hot summers with low humidity for proper ripening. This limits the areas of the world where they can be grown to three main locations—Turkey, Iran and California—which in turn limits production.

Pista kernels are rich source of many antioxidant phytochemical substances such as carotenes, vitamin-E, and polyphenolic antioxidant compounds. Research studies suggest that these compounds may help remove toxic free-radicals from the human body, and thus, protect it from diseases, cancers, and infections.

Pistachio oil extracted from kernels is one of the healthiest cooking oils. It has a pleasant nutty aroma and possesses excellent emollient properties. It helps keep skin well protected from dryness. Besides been used in the kitchen, it is also employed as “carrier or base oil” in traditional medicines in massage therapy, aromatherapy, in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Pistachios are excellent sources of vitamin-E; especially rich in γ-tocopherol; compose about 23 g per100 g. vitamin-E is a potent lipid-soluble antioxidant essential for maintaining the integrity of mucosa and skin. Also, vitamin-E works as scavengers of harmful free-oxygen radicals.

They are the storehouse of minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. 100 g nuts provide 144% of daily recommended levels of copper. Copper is an essential trace mineral that is required in neurotransmission, metabolism, as well as red blood cell (RBC) production.

The nuts are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates.

Pistachios are a low-GI food, meaning they help to keep blood glucose levels stable and also make you feel fuller for longer.