The Green Nut: A brief history of the Pistachio

When the Roman Empire conquered the Levant and parts of Persia, the Pistachio became the latest ingredient for Roman chefs to incorporate into their pantries. Emperor Vitellious introduced it to Roman society in the first century AD, and records show a host of new recipes appearing during this time as the demand for the nut soared.

The trade connections of the Roman Empire spread pistachios across the Mediterranean, where they found new fertile soils to grow in - for instance Sicily became a huge producer of pistachios and is still revered for the quality of their product to this day.

Pistachios even took on the name of the ‘Latin penny nut’ because of its introduction to many cultures with the expansion of Roman trade networks. 

Time passed and the Empire began to crumble, but the demand for these famous nuts did not, and with the advent of the silk road and spice trade, the pistachio could continue to spread far and wide. 

One of the reasons why they became so popular on the Silk Road was their incredible nutritional density, packing a large amount of protein, minerals and vitamins. Once dried, they were perfect for transporting from one end of the earth to the other!

It was for this reason that trade hubs such as the Venetian Republic kept close ties with the Arabic cultures in the East such as Syria and Iran where pistachios grew natively and were widely eaten.

However, Persian dishes such as Ranginak and Sholeh Zard often featured pistachios cooked into them, and it was actually the travelling merchants that started introducing the nut as a savoury snack as opposed to an ingredient.

Regardless of how you use them, pistachios are an ingredient with a history that is as long as history itself - from the hanging gardens of Babylon, to the Venetian court, these bright green nuts are much more than just a bar snack.