Making and production
In 2022, the US emerged as the world’s largest pistachio producer with nearly 4,00,070 metric tonnes, majorly from California, followed by Iran (2,41,669 metric tonnes) and Turkey (2,39,289 metric tonnes). The trio contributed roughly 88 per cent of the global output.In India, pistachio is cultivated mostly in Jammu & Kashmir region, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The smiling nut
Yes, pistachio is nicknamed the ‘smiling nut’. Well, that comes from the natural split in its shell that occurs as it ripens on the tree. The slight, sometimes a little-wide split creates an appearance that resembles a smile. This is also a sign that the pistachio is ready for harvest.
Close cousins
Interestingly, pistachio is a cousin to several other nuts and plants. It belongs to the Anacardiaceae family aka the cashew family, which makes cashew nut and pistachio cousins – the best ones together for the best reasons. By the way, even mangoes, which belong to the same family, share a close kinship with pistachio.
Long live pista trees!
A pistachio tree may live up to 300 years. Planted in orchards, these trees take 7 to 10 years to reach significant production. Their biological characteristics like adaptation to their native environment and slow and steady development contribute to their capacity to live long.
Pricey fellow
The slow production timeline, where trees take many years to mature and yield significantly, coupled with high cultivation costs and growing requirements like water usage and labour-intensive processes, contributes to pistachio being a costly nut in the market.