February 26th marks a unique holiday, World Pistachio Day – an unofficial holiday celebrated to encourage people to add pistachios to their daily diet and take advantage of their health benefits.
Pistachio nuts are a member of the cashew family. The pistachio tree lives for about 400 years. It takes 10-12 years for the tree to bear its first fruit. Pistachios are harvested in August and stored for no more than a year. An interesting fact is that pistachio nuts are harvested at night because in the sun, pistachios release essential oils that can poison harvesters.
Iran is the world’s leading producer of pistachio nuts. This country produces over 2,000 tons of pistachios a year! By the way, pistachios in Iran are called “smiling nuts.” Pistachios are also very popular in Asia, where they are called “green almonds” and “happy nuts.” One myth says that if you hear the crack of a pistachio shell, it will bring you good luck.
Pistachios are very healthy because they are high in protein, potassium, and many other nutrients. Eating pistachios helps slow down the production of the stress hormone cortisol and lower cholesterol levels in the body, thereby reducing the risk of cancer. In addition, pistachios contain iron.
Pistachio nuts are delicious both as a roasted snack and as a flavoring for desserts. Pistachio ice cream with its characteristic green color is very popular worldwide.
So don’t waste time and go crack some pistachio nuts to improve your health or simply enjoy a delicious pistachio dessert on World Pistachio Day!