World and National Pistachio Day: how to celebrate it
Pistachio, defined as the Green Gold of Sicily and now known throughout the world for its use in various traditional Sicilian and Italian recipes, has deserved its own national and international day.
Yes, that’s right! This small fruit with its intense green color, main ingredient of salty and sweet dishes and that has countless beneficial properties, is celebrated all over the world on February 26th with the National Pistachio Day.
We have dedicated several articles to pistachio, but today we want to highlight other curiosities related to the protagonist of our cuisine and talk about the day dedicated to a gastronomic excellence that can hardly be put aside. Let’s start!
Pistachio from Sicily: what you should know
Pistachio from Sicily, in dialect frastuca, was born in the lava soil of the city of Bronte in Sicily, at the foot of the majestic Etna. This delicious fruit is known for its particular cultivation in a land that once represented a real challenge against nature.
A difficult, expensive and risky cultivation due to the continuous volcanic eruptions and the climate, but today it offers many opportunities to be seized and has become a treasure to be guarded and preserved. Volcanic ash, today, is considered an integrator for soils thanks to the substances contained in the lava material.
Thanks to the work and challenges overcome by Sicilian growers, Pistachio has become a resource from every point of view, especially for its beneficial properties. A food rich in natural antioxidants that can be used in every recipe.
4 things (you may not know) about pistachio
We could dedicate countless articles to pistachio, the King of Sicilian cuisine. Yes, because we can never talk enough about this particular fruit and there are so many curiosities, stories, anecdotes and recipes to discover every day.
Before talking about this important National Day dedicated to pistachio, we want to share with you some of these “good to know!” related to the Green Gold.
The first curiosity is related to religious tradition. Pistachios, in fact, were mentioned in the Bible as being brought to earth by Adam (Genesis 43:11). No, there were not only apples in the Garden of Eden, but also lush pistachio trees that grew to provide delicious snacks.
Did you know that copper plays an important role in the body? Copper is a key component of proteins and enzymes and is low in calories. It contains as many as 30 vitamins, such as vitamin E which is a great ally for the skin. It is rich in minerals, proteins and fibers and allows the formation of red blood cells, as well as the correct supply of iron and its absorption. It also plays an important role in the metabolism of cholesterol and glucose.
Well, all this to say that copper is a friend of our organism and that pistachios contain a high amount of copper. Just think that it is enough to consume 100 grams of pistachios to get 144% of the recommended daily intake.
Pistachios is good luck charm, a talisman. That’s right! Or rather, in the Middle East it was believed that the crackling of a pistachio shell was a sign of good luck, so much that couples in love used to meet under pistachio trees waiting for the lucky sound in order to determine the solidity of their love.
And it is in China that pistachios are the symbol of health and happiness, so much that they are given as gifts during New Year’s Day.
National Pistachio Day: a very delicious day
Well, all these beautiful curiosities and stories about pistachios bring us here: to the National and International Pistachio Day. We can say, without a doubt, that Etna’s Gold has truly earned a day dedicated to it.
This annual event allows all pistachio lovers to celebrate it all over the world with food stands and delicious sweet and savory recipes to be consumed throughout the day.
National Pistachio Day is the perfect time to celebrate this popular fruit that, today, is grown in so many parts of the world such as Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and even southern Russia.
How to celebrate it? Well, maybe with a dish of pasta with mint, pistachio pesto and scampi or with spaghetti with pistachio and clams! However you decide to celebrate it, we wish you a delicious World and National Pistachio Day!
