How To Tell You're Buying Quality Pistachios

The global pistachio market has grown significantly in recent years, and according to new research by Transparency Market Research, it looks as though it is going to continue to expand for the foreseeable future - accounting for approximately US$ 5,000 million in revenues by the end of 2026! With so much expansion in the sector, it is becoming harder to determine the quality of the pistachios that you are buying, which means that many consumers are being let down by expensive mass-produced nuts that have little flavor. If this sounds a little too familiar and you are fed up of buying bad nuts, then here’s how to find the best quality pistachios, 

Buy your nuts from specialist nut stores. 

Although you can now find pistachios in virtually every supermarket in the country, to help guarantee their quality, it is always best to buy your nuts from smaller specialist nut stores who live and breathe their product. By buying from a specialist nut store, you gain access to a team of employees who know their product inside and out, and who can answer any questions that you may have about provenance, processing methods, and quality. 

Look at where your pistachios come from.

Pistachios originated from the Middle East, where they thrived on the hot and dry climate and grew wild in the fertile soil. Over many centuries, the pistachio tree was transported from the Middle East via traders who relied on them as a nutritious snack, and they were ultimately grown in other countries across the world, including China, the United States, India, and Italy.  Despite the US production of pistachios taking off in recent years, the best climate for pistachios remains the Middle East and for this reason, Middle Eastern pistachios are still regarded as some of the best quality pistachio nuts in the world. 

Support smaller pistachio farmers.

Like most food-stuffs, pistachios are now increasingly grown on a colossal commercial scale, with some US pistachio orchards spanning many thousands of acres! Here at Ayoub’s, rather than sourcing our pistachios from these gargantuan farms, we instead choose to support a selection of smaller pistachio growers from the Middle East, who have been providing us with their pistachios since the early 1980s. Buying pistachios that are grown by smaller producers not only helps to support local economies but also helps to guarantee that the pistachios you end up eating are grown and harvested with care and affection.

Look for split shells and vivid green color. 

When selecting pistachio nuts in their shells, always look for nuts that are split open at one end. If the pistachios you are buying are wholly shut, then aside from being difficult to open, this could be a sign of immaturity, and the nut within may be bitter and bland. If you get a chance to taste the nuts before you buy them, then take a bite and look for a vivid green color within as this is usually a good indication that the pistachio is ripe and flavorsome. 

Buying quality pistachio nuts is definitely worth it if you are looking for an intense pistachio flavor, so the next time you pick up a bag, check to see where they were grown and remember to look for split shells and a vivid green nut-meat color.