| | Today,
most of the pistachios consumed in Italy are imported from Iran and Iraq. That
wasn't always the case. Throughout the middle Ages, the pistachios eaten by Sicilians
came from eastern Sicily, where they are still grown, particularly around Mount
Etna and in the Bronte area.
Traditionally cultivated in India, central Asia,
the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean, pistachios were introduced in Sicily
in ancient times, probably by the Phoenicians, the Sisals or the earliest Greek
colonizers. There is little doubt that the ninth-century Arab rulers of Sicily
encouraged the wider cultivation of the tasty nuts.
It was probably the Saracen
Arabs who began the practice of radically pruning pistachio trees every two years
to increase nut production.
Pistachios found their way into many of the sweet
confections still made today, created in Arab Sicily using cane sugar.That's
how most of Sicily's pistachio production is now used --either in pastries or
in pistachio ice cream.
Sicilian pistachios are slightly longer and thinner
than those grown in the Middle East. They also seem to have a stronger, sharper
taste, due perhaps in part to the volcanic soil in which they're grown.
They
are not exported in large quantities. Unlike olive growers, pistachio farmers
receive little economic support from the Italian government. Here in Sicily, almonds
seem to have been preferred to pistachios, probably because the cultivation of
pistachios was historically more difficult.
Almond trees, which require somewhat
less water, seem generally hardier than pistachio plants. Sicily is suffering
an extended drought; in recent years, decreased annual precipitation has reduced
the quantity, but not the quality, of Sicilian pistachios. Pistachio
Vera is the edible variety of pistachio grown in warm, dry climates around the
world, even in California. The pistachio tree is an evergreen native to Asia,
and the very word traces the fruit's origin. The English word pistachio comes
to us from the Old Italian pistachio ("pistachio" in modern Italian),
from the Greek pistachio, which in turn derives from an Old Persian word. Pistachios
are a good source of protein, fat, fiber, vitamin B6 and thiamine. The mature
kernels are generally greenish with reddish areas, assuming a brownish color when
toasted. However, it is possible to eat them dried rather than toasted.
Widely
regarded as a snack food, pistachios are well-suited to Italian recipes, including
some that call for pine nuts. Pistachios are excellent in rice dishes or as a
garnish in main courses. To
prepare pistachios in this way, simply remove them from the shell, allowing the
kernels to soak for at least an hour in cold water flavored with lemon juice.
In this way, the tender pistachios will reveal their truest flavor.
A restaurant
in Palermo serves tender Sicilian pistachios over gnocchi as part of a delicious
gorgonzola (blue cheese) sauce. |
