Pistachio Pistacia vera The pistachio is one of only two nuts to be mentioned by name in the Bible, the other being the almond and it was probably brought under cultivation initially for its oil. The nut is the fruit of a small tree, native to Western Asia and the earliest evidence of it being consumed has been found at sites in Turkey and the Middle East, dating back to 7,000BC. It came to Europe via Rome from Syria and so became known as the ‘Syrian nut’. Pistachios, when ripe, are open at one end and the people of Iran, where most pistachios are grown nowadays, called this state khandan which means laughing. Uniquely in the nut world, the healthy kernel of a pistachio is green, due to the high presence of chlorophyll, a colour to be avoided in other members of the family, as an indicator to poison. Ancient writers mention it as a luxury food, as it still is, used mainly in rich, festive dishes such as fancy desserts and as a garnish. Unani Tibb is the only medicinal regime which mentions a use for the pistachio and then just for the skin of the nut, which is listed as a combative to diarrhoea.