Nut
Pistachios
Also called pistachio kernels, unsalted pistachios
The green kernel of the pistachio tree, sold in shell or already hulled. Baklava, knafeh and the current pistachio-chocolate fashion all want unsalted, vividly green nuts — not the dyed-red snack shells from a pub. The skin is purple-brown; the meat should be green, not khaki.
Origin
Iran and the eastern Mediterranean, with big modern crops in Türkiye, California and Sicily. The expensive Iranian and Sicilian kernels are greener and oilier; grocery pistachios still work if they taste fresh.
Flavour
Buttery, slightly sweet, resinous, with a faint bitterness in the skin. Stale pistachios taste like paint. Salted snack nuts will wreck a pastry cream.
How to use it
Buy unsalted for anything sweet or for a sauce. Pulse in a processor for knafeh or a crumb — stop before it becomes nut butter unless that is the point. A brief dry toast wakes the oil; a long toast turns them brown and ordinary. Scatter over roz bi laban at the end so they stay crisp. If the only nuts you have are salted, rinse and dry them and accept a little leftover brine. Do not use rancid bargain tubs; there is no spice that hides it.
Storage
Fridge or freezer in an airtight box. Pantry heat kills them in weeks. In-shell nuts last longer. A fridge box keeps the green better than a warm jar by the kettle.
Recipes using it
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