Pistachios, members of the cashew family, are a hardy plant capable of surviving in harsh soil conditions. They fare much better in drier soil; long, hot, dry summers are essential for the proper ripening of the fruit.
Pistachios are some of the oldest nuts we know. They have a long culinary history; they were written about by Pliny the Elder and are mentioned in the Bible.
On the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, multigenerational Italian growers harvest the finest pistachios on earth. These pistachios account for less than 1 percent of the world’s production of the nut. They have a rich green color and a deep, unique flavor drawn from Mount Etna’s volcanic soil.
The International Slow Food Institute has certified these pistachios, but no other. This variety of pistachio grows on the rugged lands of Bronte and nowhere else in Europe. It is only here that the pistachios acquire such a brilliant emerald green color and such an intense, resinous, and full fragrance.
Bronte is perched on the steep roads between the Etna volcano and the Park of Nebrodi, one of the largest parks in Sicily—it’s a beautiful landscape! Bronte’s livelihood depends on pistachios: The people of Bronte grow them, sell them, and turn them into sweets, creams, and sauces. The trees are not fertilized, nor are they watered, in part because there is very little water in that area, and also because the pistachio trees are robust and can survive an arid climate. The trees require minimal attention and are pruned only a couple of times to remove the dead branches and the shoots in the “fallow” years (the pistachio tree produces its nuts one year and rests the following year). It is during the resting period that the farmers remove the few buds that may sprout on the branches; and the plant gets to store all its energy and explode with fruit during the following season. Allowing the trees to rest every other year ensures that the flavor of the resulting pistachios has a depth unmatched by other varieties. Etna’s volcanic, mineral-rich soil ensures its unparalleled taste.
After a two-year wait, the harvest is an exciting and busy time. Between the end of August and the beginning of September, the town empties and everyone gathers in the loci (the local name for the pistachio orchards): women, children—even the elderly! The operation is almost acrobatic. Balancing on blocks of lava, people hold on to the branches with one hand, and with the other pick the pistachio nuts, one by one, dropping them into a canvas bag tied around their necks. In a day’s work, they manage to pick 20 kilos of pistachios at the most. On flat lands, a sheet can be spread out under the tree to make it easier to gather the nuts. The price of the pistachios from Bronte dwarfs that of the less tasty nuts from Iran, Turkey, and the United States. For this reason, leading confectionary and cold cuts producers in Italy—who originally purchased their pistachios from Sicily—no longer use these premium pistachios, opting for a cheaper alternative. We, however, feel these pistachios make a real difference in our ice cream.