Pistachio is the fruit of the pistachio tree, also called pistachio. It is a small deciduous tree of the Anacardiaceae and Pistacia genus. The pistachio tree is about 5-7 meters high, with thick branchlets, odd-numbered pinnate compound leaves and alternate leaves, with 3-5 leaflets, which are leathery. The panicle is 4-10 cm long. When the fruit is mature, the color is yellow-green to pink. Pistachio trees are long-lived and grow very slowly, so they are not native seedlings to my country.

Pistachios are native to Turkey and were cultivated 3,000 years ago. They later expanded from the Mediterranean to Afghanistan, the Middle East, and South Asia. It has high nutritional value. The kernel contains 62% fat, 22% protein, as well as vitamin A and vitamin B. It is rich in nutrients, exceeding walnuts and almonds.

Extended information

Tips for selecting pistachios:

1. Yellow shell, purple shell, green kernel.

The shell of pure natural pistachios should be creamy yellow with a few spots; the fruit coat should be purple-red, rich in anthocyanins; the kernel should be emerald green, rich in lutein. Wang Xingguo, director of the Nutrition Department of Dalian Central Hospital, pointed out that some merchants may bleach moldy pistachios in order to wash away the mold spots or make them look better.

The shell of bleached pistachios is whiter, and the fruit coat and kernels are dark yellow. Research shows that the antioxidants anthocyanins and lutein are greatly destroyed during bleaching, so consumers should pay special attention when choosing.

2. Open your mouth naturally.

During the ripening process of pistachios, the shell will gradually crack naturally as the fruit grows. The shell of unripe pistachios does not open, and processors will use external force to clamp them open. Most of these pistachios have large shells and little flesh. When purchasing, you can try to close the pistachio shell. If it can be completely closed or there is only a small gap left, it is artificially opened. Naturally opened shells often have a large gap and cannot be closed at all.

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