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Pistacia vera often is confused with other species in the genus Pistacia that are also known as pistachio.
Pistachio trees are vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases (see List of pistachio diseases). Among these is infection by the fungus Botryosphaeria . This fungus causes panicle and shoot blight ( i.e., kills flowers and young shoots), and can damage entire pistachio orchards.
In California, almost all female pistachio trees are the cultivar "Kerman". A sprig from a mature female Kerman is grafted onto a one-year-old rootstock. Male pistachios may be a different variety.
Bulk container shipments of Pistachio Nuts are prone to self-heating and spontaneous combustion because of their high fat and low water content.
The pistachio ( Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae) is a small tree native to some regions of Syria, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, andAfghanistan (especially in the provinces of Samangan and Badghis), that produces an important culinary nut. Pistacia vera often is confused with other species in the genus Pistacia that are also known as pistachio. These species can be distinguished from P. vera by their geographic distributions (in the wild) and their nuts. Their nuts are much smaller, have a strong flavor of turpentine, and have a shell that is not hard.
The trees are planted in orchards, and take approximately seven to ten years to reach significant production. Production is alternate bearing or biennialbearing, meaning the harvest is heavier in alternate years. Peak production is reached at approximately 20 years. Trees are usually pruned to size to make the harvest easier. One male tree produces enough pollen for eight to twelve nut-bearing females. Harvesting in the United States is often accomplished by using shaking equipment to shake the nuts off the tree.
Pistachio trees are vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases (see List of pistachio diseases). Among these is infection by the fungus Botryosphaeria . This fungus causes panicle and shoot blight ( i.e., kills flowers and young shoots), and can damage entire pistachio orchards.
In California, almost all female pistachio trees are the cultivar "Kerman". A sprig from a mature female Kerman is grafted onto a one-year-old rootstock. Male pistachios may be a different variety.
Bulk container shipments of pistachio nuts are prone to self-heating and spontaneous combustion because of their high fat and low water content.
The kernels are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also used in ice cream and confections such as baklava or biscotti and cold cuts such as mortadella. American Midwesterners make pistachio salad, which includes fresh pistachios or pistachio pudding, cool whip, CANNED FRUIT and sometimes cottage cheese or marshmallows. [ 11 ] In July 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first qualified health claim specific to nuts lowering the risk of heart disease: "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces (42.5g) per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease".
| Type: Pistachio Nut |