heh, right? we used to gamble on how many you'd get and ties just meant the pot got bigger!
Posted on 04/16/2021 4:52:07 PM PDT by SamAdams76
Not long ago, you could find bright red or pink pistachios in almost every country store or grocery market. In fact, in some areas, these unnaturally red pistachios were the only pistachios available. But if you're under the age of thirty, you may have never seen a red pistachio. So what were these red pistachios and where did they go? It's a more interesting story than you may think.
What Are Red Pistachios?
The pistachio nutshells that surround the naturally pale green nutmeat are naturally a creamy light beige color. So where did that deep reddish-pink color come from? Food historians have conflicting explanations, but they all start with red food coloring.
One story says that the tradition of dying pistachios originated with a Syrian importer named Zaloom, who dyed his pistachios red to distinguish them from his competitors. Another story holds pistachios were dyed to mask mottled markings, a natural result of the drying process, and other imperfections to make them look more palatable to consumers. Today, this story is the one most food historians agree upon. While the mottled, naturally-dried shells have no effect on the flavor of the nutmeat itself, consumers are known to judge a book (or pistachio) by its cover. As a result, there is a long history of food merchants altering their products and produce to make them more palatable. The tradition remains alive and well today in other areas of food sales.
What Happened to Red Pistachios?
The disappearance of red-dyed pistachios can be directly traced to the growth of domestic pistachio production in the United States. Before the 1970s, pistachios were imported from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to the United States. In addition to mottled markings on the pistachio shells from drying, these imported pistachios generally had a host of unappetizing stains and discolorations due to traditional harvesting methods in which the pistachios were not hulled and washed immediately after harvest. So Middle Eastern producers and exporters took to dying their product red. The few American pistachio producers at the time followed their imported counterparts and began to dye their product as well, if only because Americans were used to seeing these bright red-pink nuts.
But the 1980s saw a decline in imported pistachios as an embargo on Iranian pistachios was enforced, and further economic sanctions on Iran levied on and off for years. The number of American pistachio producers increased in response and began to increase the domestic supply of pistachios quickly. The new mechanized harvesting processes used by American producers now pick, hull, and dry the nuts before the shell can become stained, rendering the need to dye the nuts to hide imperfections unnecessary. Today, 98% of pistachios sold in the United States are produced in California, and the U.S. is the second-largest producer of pistachios after Iran.
Can You Still Find Red Pistachios?
Though most millennials have never seen a red pistachio, they do still exist, but generally as a novelty item or during the Christmas holidays. But we're perfectly happy to stick to the more natural pistachio color palette. Not only can we avoid red-stained fingers and mouths, but it is on trend with the movement to avoid unnatural additives and dyes in our food. We say that it's a win-win.
I remember vending machines, like gumball machines, that dispensed pistachios in bars.
Years later, I saw them in a store in their natural color. I got hooked on eating them once again. Although I chipped a few teeth cracking the ones that were not completely open. Eventually I learned you could pry them open with the half-shell of another one. As for the ones that are totally closed, I don't bother with them.
The disappearance of red-dyed pistachios can be directly traced to the growth of domestic pistachio production in the United States.
I have always wondered about that.
I recall getting red pistachios from a machine.
Twenty Five Cents in the slot would give you a handful of the red dyed nuts.
I always presumed the dying stopped because of popular fears about Red Dye #2. This was used on apples, in candy and on some meats. Plus, we lost all of our colored toilet tissue in the late 80’s as well! Now, nothing but government approved flat white for all.
Like the tuna of old with porpoise, the red ones tasted better.
I love pistachios, They used to call them “Indian nuts” (a bit of racisn here )... I remember the red dye being all over my little girl fingers.. I have seen the red ones as recently as a year ago ..
My late dad’s favorite snack
I love pistachios. I only buy the ones with the hulls because I would gorge myself otherwise.
Pistachios make a good pesto.
I just saw them on the reality TV culinery competition show, “Chopped”, where the contestants had to integrate red pistachios into the final concoction.
I do NOT miss having red lips and fingertips. Not dying them works for me.
Huh! I was told that they were not edible when raw, and this was the proof they were cooked (boiled).
“Eventually I learned you could pry them open with the half-shell of another one.”
That’s brilliant! I’m glad I thought of it.
I like pistachios and I probably could have eaten thousands of them without ever thinking of this. I think this qualifies as an official “life hack”.
heh, right? we used to gamble on how many you'd get and ties just meant the pot got bigger!
I will be in the minority, but if they aren’t red they don’t taste the same.
Cancelled by blue pistachios, the racist nuts...
Remember red pistachios? In the 1930’s, the pistachios were first dyed red to attract attention, as well as to hide the stains from traditional harvesting methods.Prior to the 1970’s, the United States imported its pistachios from the Middle East and Asia. Due to antiquated harvesting methods, nut shells were often left with ugly stains and splotches. Foreign pistachio producers dyed the pistachios with a bright red color in an effort to hide the stains and make the nuts more appealing to consumers.
Red pistachios became scarce by the 1980’s because of a limit on pistachio imports from the Middle East, and a huge increase in American grown pistachios produced through advanced harvesting methods. There was no longer a need to dye the pistachios red because they no longer had unappetizing stains
I loved the salty taste of the old red pistachios. They were great but then the anti-salters went after them. Pistachios still taste good but not as good as they were in the 1950’s.
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