The pistachio, a fruit, a name that makes us think of happiness. Not by chance in China is considered "the happy seed ", while in Iran "the smiling seed". In short, he certainly does not lack a good reputation. A snack that is mouth-watering, a precious ingredient for many varieties of recipes, which in Italy especially in Sicily has depopulated. It is right here, in the beloved land of Pirandello, of which he was crazy, which we find i Bronte pistachios, welcomed in tables and kitchens all over the world.
Bronte or Stigliano?
Pistachio is the fruit of the homonymous tree and is characterized by a green-violet color and enclosed in a hard shell with a woody appearance. They usually ripen at the end of summer with the partial opening of the shell, but it is one ideal snack for the whole year. Behind him there is a great story: it is talked about in the Genesi and even the Assyrians they used it as medicine. It is generally grown in southern regions, as its production depends a lot from the climatic trend. It therefore prefers a mild climate, away from frosts that can hinder the fruit's blossoming. That is why those of Bronte never disappoint, what is milder and sunnier than Sicily? Coming from this town in the province of Catania which also got the DOP mark, the true ones have been defined "Green diamonds". Collected by hand one by one in Sicily, it is called "stone breaker" because it adapts to uneven and steep terrain but its real name is terebinth: it is thanks to this plant, used as a support, that the farmers of Bronte have managed to transform desolate lava flows in excellent pistachio crops. The harvest, which takes place every two years and lasts about a month, involves the whole town: the trees are shaken by hand and the fruits, recovered one by one, are then separated from the husk and left to dry. Protected by a Protection Consortium (consorziopistacchioverde.it), in 2010 the Bronte pistachio obtained the Dop mark and is celebrated between September and October with a great festival full of goodies: cakes, creams, crunchy, ice cream but also chocolate, honey , liqueurs, flour, oil, pesto for pasta and even Easter eggs and panettone.
A good competitor of the great Bronte could be the pistachio from Stigliano, a native of Basilicata, he too must acknowledge his climb to the top of the national and international rankings. After all, the legend that even just one of these pistachios is enough to bring a good mood and the joy of living. From guse delicate and unique, the pistachio contains many healing and beneficial properties.
American pistachios
Another type of pistachio not local but American doc, is the Californian pistachio. Thanks to the proteins they contain, they are ideal for a snack, both as a break from work and to regain energy after a workout, as he pointed out American Pistachio Growers, the non-profit association that unites American pistachio growers. They are also effective anti-stress thanks to magnesium and B vitamins.
Where do we find them?
Pistachios are readily available in large-scale distribution, in organic and online food stores, both in the salty and natural version, without salt (to be preferred). Then of course if you want to be particularly attentive to the origin and quality, you can look for small shops, having the artisan product and its derivatives available: such as pistachio cream, pistachio flour, ice cream, chocolate rather than liqueur or chopped pistachios ideal for desserts. In short, you can certainly indulge in products. The price of pistachio, it is slightly higher than the various categories of dried fruit on the market, but is still accessible and consistent with the exceptional qualities offered by the product.
Pistachios at home
Although natural pistachios are preferred, they are a little more difficult to find but those that are on the market can be eithernot salted with peel, unsalted without peel. Similarly, many recipes require the use of peeled pistachios, these too are not easy to find. In any case, everything can be solved at home. It is indeed quite simple desalt them: just arm yourself with a little patience and peel them, then immerse them for a minute in boiling water. Drain them and, while they are still hot, remove the outer cuticle which should come off easily. At this point you will have obtained yours shelled pistachios and almost completely without salt. If you want, you could put them on a high flame for a few minutes, in a non-stick pan, in order to toast them and allow any moisture they may have absorbed to dry. Pistachios are then ready to become one snack breaks hunger, the ingredient of any recipe or to be processed into flour, if blended with some strength.
An entire encyclopedia would probably not suffice to list all the uses of pistachio in cooking. It is used practically for all types of dishes, from appetizers to desserts. It is very popular for sauces and condiments in general, for first courses it goes well with both rice and pasta and in particular it is an indispensable ingredient for a good pesto. Also for main courses it is used indiscriminately with meat or fish. Let's not forget that it is excellent for flavoring cured meats, especially mortadella. But the real triumph is pastry: ice creams, slushes, chocolate-based desserts, cakes, nougat, various types of creams, biscuits and semifreddo with pistachio they go hand in hand, they can delight the palate of anyone.
By Elena Strappa
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