I’ve been thinking about these a lot, lately, because of the work I’ve been doing for Bioversity. And because of the food I’ve been eating here in Rome. Farro four times a week? And cauliflower, I have to admit, has been an underutilized species in my household, if not in general—until this fall.
I’ve written about farro, and I’ll write about some others in the future, but right now, I’m thinking about one NUS in particular which I was surprised to see on the list: pistachios (in Italy)!
What about pistachio gelato? And those gorgeous green cakes we saw in Venice?
Most of those pistachios come from Iran. The word pistachio derives originally from the Aramaic word pistaqa (rendered phonetically), and Iran is still the leader leader in pistachio production and exportation. According to the International Society for Horticultural Science, “in 2003, Iran as the most important pistachio exporter and USA as the second exporter [had] a share of 69% and 8.9% respectively in the world exports.”
Bioversity, an organization in Italy dedicated to researching and educating about agricultural biodiversity, and to revitalizing neglected and underutilized species, led a campaign starting in 1993 to conserve and promote the production of pistachios (and arugula, oregano and hulled wheats) in Italy. NUS are important as we think about the future of agriculture because of their ability to grow in climates other, perhaps higher yeilding, crops will not—for example the hot, arid climate of southern Italy.
Pistachios are a good source of protein, fat, fiber, vitamin B6 and thiamine. They also make a delicious snack, especially when salted!
The most pistachioish gelato I’ve ever tasted was made at Il Gelatone in Venice. Mmm! I hope the pistachios didn’t come from one of the most repressive regimes in the world….
The Roving Locavore 