Organic Raw Shelled Pistachios

General Description

The pistachio is a small tree native to some regions of Syria, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The pistachio tree is the producer a very important culinary nut. This nut comes in the form of a small seed of greenish color and sweet flavor, housed in a shell that opens when the fruit is ripe. Like almonds, pistachio is a drupe with a thin pulp and a nucleus containing a single seed. These are the cotyledons of this seed, light green, covered with a thin red-brown skin, which are edible.

Origin

The pistachio tree is native of Central Asia but it was the Romans who introduced it to Europe in the 1st century. Wild pistachio trees still grow in the North-East corner of Iran and Afghanistan.

Nutritional Benefits

The pistachio is an excellent source of protein! It is also high in copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron and vitamins B1, K and E.

This nut contains unsaturated fatty acids, soluble fibre, physphytosterols and antioxidants that help reduce bad cholesterol but also contributes to better cardiovascular health and a reduced risk for certain cancers.

Uses

Pistachios can be consumed raw or roasted, for a snack or in a recipe. Try PRANA’s roasted sea salted pistacchios or the delicious [chocolate and pistachio biscotti]http://pranabio.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/biscotti-vegetalien-chia-colate-chia-colate-vegan-biscotti/ "chocolate and pistachio biscotti") from the PRANA blog .