The first information we can give about Pistachio is that it is a fruit from the family of sakızağacıgiller. Pistachio grown in Gaziantep, which is located in our country, has taken its name from this province. The newly planted Pistachio starts to produce when it turns 10 an average of 10 kg per tree. Its average life span is between 100-150 years. Pistachio, which is an important source of income for the people of the region, yields crops in late August and September.
Known as many different names throughout human history, Pistachio is also known as the Golden Tree or Green Gold. The reason why it is mentioned with these adjectives is that it provides good income in a short time and provides high profit for its producers. Pistachio is an important raw material for many foods, from cakes to ice creams, from sweets to salty. Pistachio grown in our country throughout history has been in green or yellow mixture colour since ancient times. This special fruit was included in the kings’ tables in ancient times. The first entry of this fruit to Rome was made in the first century AD by the Syrian Governor of that time, Vitellius. Spreading to Spain and then to Italy, Sicily, Spain, South France and North Africa, Pistachio has left delicious marks on people’s plates for centuries.
As a healthy nut, pistachios are beneficial as a source of vitamin B6, a good protein, vitamin, fiber and antioxidant, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus and manganese minerals. Nowadays, it can also be used to add visuality and taste to desserts and meals.
The place of dried fruits varieties as a society is very valuable in our country. The times we meet with our conversations, serials or loved ones accompanied by nuts are a nice treat for each of us. We always think that diets are without tasteless salt, we look for foods that will energize but are not very high in calories. But this is not easy and possible. But pistachios can provide a positive contribution in terms of energy to diets that are made to lose weight by giving enough energy thanks to the vitamins and minerals it contains.
Pistachios are useful not only for adults but also for children. It is useful for children of development age to consume pistachios for their mental and physical development in terms of containing phosphorus. Eating a handful of pistachios a day for both adults and children contributes to meeting body needs in terms of protein. Considering the amount of fibre it contains, pistachios are very important for muscle health and strength. It is extremely effective for the development of the heart muscles as well as the muscles in the body.
Pistachio is a food that suits everything without saying sweet-salty, which we love to use in our kitchens, making our rich tastes even richer. If we talk about the food that comes to our mind, besides consuming it as a nut, when it comes to pistachios, it is undoubtedly baklava with pistachio. It is known that the original of baklava, which can be made using walnuts in some regions, is made with pistachios. Simit kebab, stuffed meatballs, creamy mushroom soup, chicken rice, cheesecake with cheese, katmer, rice pudding, grape sausage, as well as an added value to the product in the halva, chocolate and Turkish delight industries.