I remember tasting Persian Pistachios in the 70’s and they were jewels, tasty, not too salty, rich and dense in flavor. Research shows that the origin of pistachio trees lies in the North-east of Iran, and 5000 years people have been eating pistachios. In Persia they have various types as they do in Turkey.

In America they grow the Pistacia Vera, and they are graded depending on the size, as they do in most countries. In Persia the round pistachio Fandoghi and Ardakani are primarily products for export. The Jumbo, Kalle Quchi is broad with an opened mouth pistachio, and the long, Akabri, Badami, and Ahmad Aghaye are the most expensive. They are often kept for special clients and gobbled up by long standing clients.

Still many pistachio you get today seem so ordinary, except a few years ago I found a commercial brand from Lebanon via the Manager of Patek Philippe in Paris France:

http://www.alrifai.com/alrifai/default.aspx

http://www.alrifai.com/ALRIFAI/Store/Products.aspx?ProductId=FFPPISBATHSL

Also while traveling in Istanbul, I found some excellent green pistachio used for Baklava and or for eating just as they are. The taste is pure and the color exceptional. They can be found in the spice market, though a visit to the spice market can lead you on a wild goose chase though. There are so many vendors selling nuts that it gets confusing. The prices are negotiable but not always. This shop is not a place where the prices are flexible but the quality is amongst the best in the Spice Market.

When you eat pistachio nuts remember they 15g of fat per half kilo, but only 2g of this fat is the unhealthy saturated kind. The rest of the fat is a combination of monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which can have beneficial effects on your health. There is no question that they are addictive and at the same time nutritious, and there is no doubt that Iran produces more than 50% of the world’s production.