Pistachios actually have to go through all these before reaching your hands

With a crisp "click", the golden kernels are hidden inside the green shells pinched open by your fingertips. The salty, fragrant and crispy taste instantly lights up your taste buds - who can resist the charm of pistachios? But have you ever wondered what kind of journey these irresistible snacks have gone through from the tree to the can? Today, we are going to reveal the whole process of the birth of pistachios, teaching you from raw material selection to creative eating methods, and having fun with this "smiling nut".

As early as 7000 BC, people in the Middle East had already started eating pistachios. Mr. Zhang once discovered during his trip to Iran that the shelled pistachios piled up like small hills in the local bazaar were only one-third of the price in China. This "desert gold" likes a dry climate, and now it has also been successfully cultivated in Xinjiang, China, with the fullness of the fruits being no less inferior.

• Variety Selection: The kernels of the Kerman variety from Iran are the largest, and the American varieties have thin shells that are easy to open.
• Freshness Identification: The shells should be milky white, the pellicles should be purplish red, and the kernels should be bright green for the best.
• Storage Tips: Unopened ones can be refrigerated for 6 months, and the shelled kernels need to be sealed and kept away from light.

Ms. Li shared after visiting a pistachio orchard in Xinjiang: "During the harvesting season in September, the workers shook the trees with machines, and the ripe fruits fell like green raindrops." These fresh fruits have to go through three transformations to become the familiar snacks we know:

• Peeling and Washing: Remove the outer red peel within 24 hours to prevent tannin from contaminating the shells.
• Natural Opening: Dry with 45℃ hot air for 12 hours, and the shells will split naturally along the suture lines.
• Grading and Screening: The optical sorter will remove the defective fruits and classify them into 24 - 30 grades according to their sizes.

In addition to being eaten directly as snacks, pistachios can also be transformed into various creative dishes. Try these 3 foolproof recipes:

• Pistachio Paste: 200g roasted kernels + 30g honey + 5g sea salt, blend them in a blender until smooth.
• Persian-style Rice: Mix the cooked Basmati rice with crushed pistachios, saffron water, and rose petals.
• Ice Cream Topping: Coarsely crushed kernels + orange zest + dark chocolate chips, sprinkle them on vanilla ice cream.

This little green nut also has hidden skills: Ms. Wang, a baker, discovered that pistachio powder can replace 20% of the flour to make macarons, and the finished products have a unique nutty aroma; fitness enthusiasts like to use pistachio oil to dress their salads, as its content of monounsaturated fatty acids is higher than that of olive oil.

The next time you tear open the pistachio packaging, you might as well think about this ancient nut that has spanned thousands of years and is now delivering the gifts of nature to you through modern technology. What delicious things are you going to create with it? Welcome to share your creative pistachio recipes in the comment section!