With an antiquity of more than 10.000 years, the pistachio is one of the "oldest" edible nuts on earth. Originating from Southeast Asia, Asia Minor, Pakistan and India, the pistachio belongs, like the cashew, to the family of the Anacardiaceae.

The fruit of the pistachio differs from all the other nuts because of its characteristic green colour and the semi-opening of the shell, which in Iran is called the "smiling pistachio". This singular morphology makes the pisctachio the only edible nut which does not need to be shelled.for roasting and salting, serving at its turn a natural "wrapping" and easy for consumption.

The pistachio has a delicious flavour and a high nutritious value, being very rich in proteins and vitamins. The principal producing countries are presently; Iran; Turkey, U.S.A., Greece and Italy. They are always marketed in their inshell form, roasted and salted, but they can be purchased shelled. They are mainly used as snack and confectionery and used in ice creams.

Refuse: 47%  (Shells)
Scientific Name:  Pistacia vera
NDB No: 12151 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)

Nutrient Units Value per 100 grams Number of Data Points Std. Error Proximates Water g 3.97 8 0.276 Energy kcal 557 0   Energy kj 2332 0   Protein g 20.61 8 0.186 Total lipid (fat) g 44.44 8 1.664 Ash g 3.02 8 0.061 Carbohydrate, by difference g 27.97 0   Fiber, total dietary g 10.3 8 0.353 Sugars, total g 7.64 8 0.305 Sucrose g 7.00 8 0.1 Glucose (dextrose) g 0.27 8 0.113 Fructose g 0.17 8 0.035 Lactose g 0.00 8 0 Maltose g 0.20 8 0.058 Starch g 1.67 1   Minerals Calcium, Ca mg 107 8 0.214 Iron, Fe mg 4.15 8 0.151 Magnesium, Mg mg 121 1   Phosphorus, P mg 490 1   Potassium, K mg 1025 8 64.643 Sodium, Na mg 1 1   Zinc, Zn mg 2.20 1   Copper, Cu mg 1.300 1   Manganese, Mn mg 1.200 1   Selenium, Se mcg 7.0 1   Vitamins Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid mg 5.0 1   Thiamin mg 0.870 1   Riboflavin mg 0.160 1   Niacin mg 1.300 1   Pantothenic acid mg 0.520 1   Vitamin B-6 mg 1.700 1   Folate, total mcg 51 1   Folic acid mcg 0 0   Folate, food mcg 51 1   Folate, DFE mcg_DFE 51 0   Vitamin B-12 mcg 0.00 0   Vitamin A, IU IU 553 1   Vitamin A, RAE mcg_RAE 28 1   Retinol mcg 0 0   Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) mg 2.30 1   Tocopherol, beta mg 0.00 1   Tocopherol, gamma mg 22.60 1   Tocopherol, delta mg 0.80 1   Lipids Fatty acids, total saturated g 5.440 0   04:00 g 0.000 0   06:00 g 0.000 0   08:00 g 0.000 1   10:00 g 0.000 1   12:00 g 0.000 1   14:00 g 0.000 1   15:00 g 0.000 1   16:00 g 4.889 1   17:00 g 0.000 1   18:00 g 0.466 1   20:00 g 0.043 1   22:00 g 0.043 1   24:00 g 0.000 1   Fatty acids, total monounsaturated g 23.319 0   14:01 g 0.000 1   16:1 undifferentiated g 0.463 1   13:00 g 0.000 1   18:1 undifferentiated g 22.686 1   20:01 g 0.170 1   22:1 undifferentiated g 0.000 1   24:1 c g 0.000 1   Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated g 13.455 0   18:2 undifferentiated g 13.201 1   18:3 undifferentiated g 0.254 1   18:04 g 0.000 0   20:2 n-6 c,c g 0.000 1   20:3 undifferentiated g 0.000 1   20:4 undifferentiated g 0.000 1   20:5 n-3 g 0.000 1   22:5 n-3 g 0.000 1   22:6 n-3 g 0.000 1   Cholesterol mg 0 0   Phytosterols mg 214 1   Stigmasterol mg 5 1   Campesterol mg 10 1   Beta-sitosterol mg 198 1   Amino acids Tryptophan g 0.273 0   Threonine g 0.673 0   Isoleucine g 0.900 0   Leucine g 1.554 0   Lysine g 1.151 0   Methionine g 0.338 0   Cystine g 0.357 0   Phenylalanine g 1.062 0   Tyrosine g 0.415 0   Valine g 1.239 0   Arginine g 2.028 0   Histidine g 0.507 0   Alanine g 0.921 0   Aspartic acid g 1.817 0   Glutamic acid g 3.819 0   Glycine g 0.953 0   Proline g 0.812 0   Serine g 1.225 0   Other Alcohol, ethyl g 0.0 0   Caffeine mg 0 0   Theobromine mg 0 0   Carotene, beta mcg 332 1   Carotene, alpha mcg 0 1