Pistachios why red

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Shop Whole Shop Gluten-Free. Shop Vegan Baking. Before the s, 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 s 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.

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. Nostalgia is a heck of a drug. For those of us old enough to remember, red pistachios played a major part in our childhood memories.

Times were simpler back then: People called friends from landline phones, they balanced their checkbooks and ate pistachios that dyed their fingers a vibrant red. Now, on Feb. It all starts with a Syrian pistachio importer by the name of Zaloom who supposedly dyed his pistachios red to differentiate his product from that of his competitors and hide any minor imperfections from harvesting. The pistachio is believed to be indigenous to the Middle East, specifically Iran, and was widely cultivated from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean region, as well as in California.

Then, in came the Iranian Hostage Crisis in which 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage in Iran for days. Needless to say, tensions between the two nations were extremely high during this time, deeply affecting how the U. Carter did what any president in a tight spot would do and imposed a number of sanctions on Iran just after the crisis began. Carter began by cutting off sales of Iranian oil and freeing all Iranian assets.