{"id":66085,"date":"2026-03-25T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thegreenlist.nl\/?p=66085"},"modified":"2026-03-27T10:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T09:35:20","slug":"pistachio-is-our-new-favourite-nut-as-green-as-it-looks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thegreenlist.nl\/en\/pistache-is-onze-nieuwe-favo-noot-wel-zo-groen-als-ie-eruitziet\/","title":{"rendered":"Pistachio: is our new favo nut really as green as it looks?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pistachio is undoubtedly the hippest nut of today. Sidenote: pistachio is not actually a nut at all. You see it everywhere. As a filling in bars, as a bright green crumb on cakes, hello pistachio croissant or as a topping on your oatmeal. Since the Dubaireep, pistachio has had a firm grip on the Netherlands. But how green is this green hype really? Is pistachio only pleasing to the eye and nice and creamy in taste or also a healthy and socially responsible choice? We dived into it!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why we're going wild for pistachios<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let's be honest: it wasn't just the taste that won us over. The so-called \u2018Dubai chocolate bar\u2019, filled with pistachio cream and crispy kadaif, went viral because it feels like pure luxury. Rich, creamy, a little bit over the top. And then that almost glowing green colour. That's just edible Eye candy<\/em>. But pistachios don't just score points for their appearance. They are also the slightly more sophisticated sibling of peanuts and almonds. They contain all nine amino acids and pistachios contain antioxidants such as lutein and anthocyanins, which are good for your eyes. Relatively few calories for a nut too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there's another clever thing about pistachios. Those who have to shell their own nuts eat an average of 41% fewer of them. This is also known as the \u2018pistachio effect\u2019. Shell first, then snack. It makes a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, officially, a pistachio is not a nut at all but a drupe. What we eat is hidden in the kernel. In China, they therefore call it the \u2019laughing nut\u2018, because the split shell looks like a smile. See, this is how a hype suddenly becomes educational too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do our pistachios come from?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The pistachio treePistacia vera<\/em>) originates from Asia (Iran) and is a discerning survivor. It takes seven to ten years before it can be harvested for the first time. And then the pistachio is also biennial: one year the harvest is meagre, the next year the harvest is excellent, and so on. It needs hot summers and cold winters, which is why it only grows in a few specific regions. Roughly speaking, there are three areas where pistachios grow. And they all have their own price tag and corresponding footprint<\/em>. We're taking you on a pistachio journey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n