The pistachio is the stone fruit of a deciduous tree. In some aspects, the pistachio tree resembles the almond and walnut trees and belongs to the same family as the walnut. The exact origin of the pistachio nut is not entirely clear. Currently, pistachio trees grow in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy and the US. In countries such as Afghanistan, pistachio trees grow in the wild in mountainous regions, where the tree looks more like a bush than a tree.

Splits and non-splits
The growth of pistachios can be compared with growing grapes; they grow in bunches on the tree. When the nut ripens it grows bigger, making the hard shell burst open after some time. These nuts are also called “splits”. There are also pistachio nuts called “non-splits” that do not split. This occurs when the nut has not ripened sufficiently. Not every pistachio tree grows nuts, as there are “male” and “female” trees. Only the “female” tree produces pistachios, and it yields a full harvest every other year.

Harvest
In the past pistachios were beaten out of the tree with a stick and caught in a blanket. Nowadays, there are machines that shake the tree to harvest them.
 
Nutritional value
Pistachios are a good source of phosphorus. Phosphorus is a mineral that is present in our body and in food in the form of phosphate. Together with calcium, phosphate provides strength to bones and teeth. Phosphate also plays a role with regard to energy metabolism and various enzyme processes in our body.

Further informationen to other nuts:

• Almonds
• Brazil-nuts
• Cashews
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Peanuts
• Pecan nuts
• Walnuts