Pistachio

taxobox
name = Pistacia vera

---

image_caption = "Pistacia vera" Kerman fruits ripening
status = LC
status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Sapindales
familia = Anacardiaceae
genus = "Pistacia"
species = "P. vera"
binomial = "Pistacia vera"
binomial_authority = L.|

The pistachio ("Pistacia vera" L., Anacardiaceae or sometimes Pistaciaceae) is a small tree native to mountainous regions of Iran, Turkmenistan and western Afghanistan, that produces an important culinary nut. "Pistacia vera" often is confused with other species in the genus "Pistacia" that are also known as pistachio. These species can be distinguished from "P. vera" by their geographic distributions (in the wild) and their nuts. Their nuts are much smaller, have a strong flavor of turpentine, and have a shell that is not hard. The word pistachio is a loanword from Persian via Italian, and is a cognate to the Modern Persian word پسته "Peste".

History

Pistachio nuts of species other than "P. vera" were a popular food in antiquity but today none of these other species are a commercial source of pistachio nuts (see "Pistacia").Fact|date=September 2008

The modern pistachio nut (in the sense of "P. vera") was first cultivated in Western Asia. Its cultivation spread into the Mediterranean world by way of central Iran, where it has long been an important crop. Although known to the Romans, the pistachio nut appears not to have reached the Mediterranean or most of the Near East in any quantity before medieval times.

More recently pistachio has been cultivated commercially in the English speaking world, in Australia, New Mexico,Esteban Herrera (1997) "Growing pistachios in New Mexico" New Mexico State University, Cooperative Extension Service, Circular 532 [http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/circ532.pdf] ] , and most notably California. The United States Department of Agriculture introduced the tree in California about 1904, but it was not promoted as a commercial crop in California until 1929. The first commercial harvest was in 1976.Fact|date=September 2008 The 1979 Iranian Revolution gave a strong commercial impetus to the American-based pistachio nut industry.Fact|date=September 2008 Previous to that time, most Westerners were familiar with only the slightly smaller, deeply red-hued (dyed) nuts produced mainly in Iran, where it is the second largest export after oil. Fact|date=October 2007

Biology

The tree grows up to 10 meters (30 ft.) tall. It has deciduous pinnate leaves 10–20 centimeters (4-8 inches) long.

Pistachio is a desert plant, and is highly tolerant of saline soil. It has been reported to grow well when irrigated with water having 3,000-4,000 ppm of soluble salts. Pistachio trees are fairly hardy in the right conditions, and can survive temperature ranges between −10°C (14°F) in winter to 40°C (104°F) in summer. They need a sunny position and well-drained soil. Pistachio trees do poorly in conditions of high humidity, and are susceptible to root rot in winter if they get too much water and the soil is not sufficiently free draining. Long hot summers are required for proper ripening of the fruit.

The plants are dioecious, with separate male and female trees. The flowers are apetalous and unisexual, and borne in panicles.

The fruit is a drupe, containing an elongated seed, which is the edible portion. The seed, commonly thought of as a nut, is a culinary nut, not a botanical nut. The fruit has a hard, whitish exterior shell. The seed has a mauvish skin and light green flesh, with a distinctive flavour. When the fruit ripens, the shell changes from green to an autumnal yellow/red and abruptly splits part way open (see photo). This is known as dehiscence, and happens with an audible pop. The splitting open is a trait that has been selected by humans. Commercial cultivars vary in how consistently they split open.

Each pistachio nut weighs around 1 gram,Fact|date=June 2008 and each pistachio tree averages around 50 kg of nuts, or around 50,000, every two years. [cite book |last=Nugent |first=Jeff |coauthors=Julia Boniface |title=Permaculture Plants: A Selection |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2005-03-30 |publisher=Permanent Publications |isbn=978-1856230292 |pages=41 |chapter=Pistachio Nuts |chapterurl=http://books.google.com/books?id=40n-Z_8ihZMC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&source=web&ots=Meq7HLdTKL&sig=hEL-gmE8vR8arOcTj_Hmse7m2dQ ]

Cultivation

The trees are planted in orchards, and take approximately seven to ten years to reach significant production. Production is alternate bearing or biennial bearing, meaning the harvest is heavier in alternate years. Peak production is reached at approximately 20 years. Trees are usually pruned to size to make the harvest easier. One male tree produces enough pollen for eight to twelve nut-bearing females.

Pistachio trees are vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases (see List of pistachio diseases). Notable among these is infection by the fungus "Botryosphaeria". This fungus causes panicle and shoot blight (ie, kills flowers and young shoots), and can damage entire pistachio orchards.

In California almost all female pistachio trees are the cultivar 'Kerman'. A sprig from a mature female Kerman is grafted onto a one year old rootstock. Male pistachios may be a different variety. California produces the most pistachios in the United States, and about half of these are exported, mainly to China, Japan, Europe and Canada.Fact|date=September 2008

Bulk container shipments of pistachio nuts are prone to self heating and url=http://www.containerhandbuch.de/chb_e/scha/index.html?/chb_e/scha/scha_13_06.html |title=13.6 Risk factor Self-heating/Spontaneous combustion |accessdate=2008-06-17 |work=Container Handbook |publisher=GDV]

] :

Uses

nutritionalvalue
name=Pistachio nuts, dry roasted, w/o salt
kJ= 2391
protein= 21.35 g
fat= 45.97 g
carbs= 27.65 g
fiber= 10.3 g
sugars= 7.81 g
glucose= 0.23 g
fructose= 0.13 g
iron_mg= 4.2
opt1n=Manganese 1.275 mg
opt1v=
calcium_mg= 110
magnesium_mg= 120
phosphorus_mg= 485
potassium_mg= 1042
zinc_mg= 2.3
vitC_mg= 2.3
pantothenic_mg= 0.513
vitB6_mg= 1.274
folate_ug= 50
thiamin_mg= 0.84
riboflavin_mg= 0.158
niacin_mg= 1.425
right=1
source_usda=1 The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also used in ice cream and confections such as baklava and cold cuts such as mortadella. In July 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first qualified health claim specific to nuts lowering the risk of heart disease: "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". [cite web |url=http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qhcnuts2.html |title=Qualified Health Claims: Letter of Enforcement Discretion - Nuts and Coronary Heart Disease (Docket No 02P-0505) |accessdate=2008-06-17 |author=Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements |date=2003-07-23 |publisher=Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition]

In research at Pennsylvania State University, pistachios in particular significantly reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) while increasing antioxidant levels in the serum of volunteers. [cite journal |last=Kay |first=Colin D |coauthors=Sarah K Gebauer, Sheila G West and Penny M Kris-Etherton |year=2007 |month=April |title=Pistachios reduce serum oxidized LDL and increase serum antioxidant levels |journal=The FASEB Journal |volume=21 |issue=6 |pages=A1091-a |url=http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/21/6/A1091-a |accessdate=2008-06-18 Related news articles:
*cite news |title=Pistachios May Calm Acute Stress Reaction |url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430155822.htm |work=ScienceDaily |date=2007-05-01 |accessdate=2008-06-17
*cite news |title=Pistachios lower risk of heart disease |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1550195/Pistachios-lower-risk-of-heart-disease.html |work=Telegraph News |publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited |date=2007-05-02 |accessdate=2008-06-17] In rats, consumption of pistachios as 20% of daily caloric intake increased beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) without lowering LDL cholesterol, and while reducing LDL oxidation. [cite journal | author=Aksoy N, Aksoy M, Bagci C, Gergerlioglu HS, Celik H, Herken E, Yaman A, Tarakcioglu M, Soydinc S, Sari I, Davutoglu V | title=Pistachio intake increases high density lipoprotein levels and inhibits low-density lipoprotein oxidation in rats | journal=The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine | volume=212 | issue=1 | year=2007 | pages=43-48 | format = HTML | url = http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/212/1/212_43/_article | id=PMID 17464102 ]

On the Greek island of Chios, the husk or flesh of the pistachio fruit surrounding the shell is cooked and preserved in syrup.Fact|date=June 2008

The shell of the pistachio is naturally a beige colour, but it is sometimes dyed red or green in commercial pistachios. Originally the dye was applied by importers to hide stains on the shells caused when the nuts were picked by hand. However most pistachios are now picked by machine and the shells remain unstained, making dyeing unnecessary (except that some consumers have been led to expect coloured pistachios). Roasted pistachio nuts can be artificially turned red if they are marinated prior to roasting in a salt and strawberry marinade, or salt and citrus salts.

References

ee also

* List of culinary nuts
* Cashew
* Pine nut

External links

* [http://www.IranianPistachio.biz Iranian Pistachio]
* [http://www.Peste.biz Pistachio Articles (persian)]
* [http://www.aftg.org.tr/english.php/ Antep Pistachio Promotion Group]
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?28655 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Pistacia vera"]
* [http://www.pistachios.org/ California Pistachio Commission]
* [http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20oa.html Nutrition facts]
* [http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=94 Pistachio Ice Cream From Scratch with step-by-step pictures]
* [http://www.pistachiohealth.com/ PistachioHealth.com - Pistachio Health and Nutrition Information]
* [http://www.kara.co.ir Kara Food Machinery]