Pistacia vera

The Pistacia vera (L., Anacardiaceae, or sometimes Pistaciaceae) is a small tree of the genus Pistacia, native to the regions mountains of Syria, Turkey, Iran and western Afghanistan, which produces an important culinary nut called pistachio, pistache, pistachio, alfónsigo or pistachero. Pistacia vera is often confused with other species of the genus Pistacia. They can be differentiated from P. vera due to its original geographical distribution and its smaller fruits, with an intense turpentine flavor and a hard pericarp (shell).

Pistacia vera

Given the nutritional importance of its fruits, pistachio is cultivated in many parts of the world, and the main producer is Iran, with 472,097 tons in 2011.

Illustration

History

Pistacia vera was first planted in western Asia. Its cultivation spread to the Mediterranean world via Central Iran, where it has been an important crop for a long time. The manuscript written by Anthimus, early VI century d. C. De observatione ciborum (On the observation of food) indicates that pistachios (pistacia, in Vulgar Latin) were well known in Europe towards the end of the times of Roman domination.^{[citation needed]}

For sale in the English-speaking world, Pistacia vera has been cultivated more recently in Australia, New Mexico, and California. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced this tree to California around 1904, but only until 1929 or promoted as a commercial product in California.

Biology

The Pistacia vera grows up to 10 meters tall and has pinnate leaves, with 3 to 5 leaflets 10-20 centimeters (4-8 inches) long, shed in season cold.^{[citation needed]}

It is a desert plant and therefore has a high tolerance to saline soil. It has been reported to grow well when irrigated with water containing 3,000-4,000 ppm soluble salts. Pistacia vera are quite hardy under the right conditions, and can survive temperatures ranging from – 10 °C in winter, up to 40 °C in summer. They need to be oriented towards the sun and in well-drained soil.^{[citation needed]}

Pistacia vera do not do well in high humidity conditions, but their roots can rot during the winter if they receive too much water and if the soil does not have sufficient free drainage. Long summers are required for proper fruit ripening. Plants are dioecious, have separate male and female feet. The flowers are apetalous and gather in inflorescences called panicles (popularly racemes).^{[citation needed]}

The fruit is a drupe that contains an elongated seed, which is the edible portion. It is covered by a thin fleshy skin, green in color. Inside, under a hard, whitish shell, the pale green seed is covered in turn by a thin mauve-toned skin, and has a characteristic flavor. Commonly considered a fruit, this seed is for culinary use. When the fruit ripens, the skin changes from green to an autumnal reddish yellow and its shell breaks open partially, abruptly.^{[citation needed]}

This rupture is known as dehiscence/hatching and occurs accompanied by an audible sound. The tendency to this openness is a trait that humans have selected for. Commercial cultivars vary in how they open. Each Pistacia vera gives an average of 50 kg of seeds every two years.

Cultivation

The trees are planted in orchards and take seven to ten years to achieve significant production. Production is alternate or biennial, which means that the harvest is more abundant every two years. Peak production is reached at approximately 20 years. Trees are usually pruned to a size that allows for easier harvesting. One male tree produces enough pollen for eight to twelve female trees to set fruit. Harvesting in the United States is often accomplished by using equipment to shake the tree to drop the fruit.

The Pistacia vera are vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases, including infection by the fungus Verticillium dahliae, which can kill the plant, and by Botryosphaeria. The latter causes panicle and anthracnose (i.e., kills flowers and young shoots), and can damage entire orchards of Pistacia vera.^{[citation needed]}

In California, nearly all female trees are of the cultivar “Kerman,” which is often associated with the male cultivar "Peter. A clump of a mature tree of these varieties is grafted onto a two-year-old rootstock. Another species of the genus Pistacia, called Pistacia atlantica, has been used as a rootstock, which is being replaced in recent years by a hybrid of it with P integrima, called UCB-1 due to its immunity to verticillium wilt.^{[citation needed]}

Wholesale packaged shipments of pistachios are prone to self-heating and spontaneous combustion due to their high fat and low water content.

Properties

Erectile dysfunction properties

In the study 'Pistachio-based diet improves erectile function parameters and serum lipid profiles in patients with erectile dysfunction' The benefits of pistachio in male fertility are demonstrated. It consisted of a prospective clinical trial that included a total of 17 married patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) for at least 12 months. The patients received a diet of 100g of pistachios for three weeks. The diet was indeed shown to improve IIEF (International Index of Erectile Function) scores without any associated side effects in ED patients. Furthermore, lipid parameters showed statistically significant improvements after this diet.

Pistachios are a source of monounsaturated and unsaturated fats, which help maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels. This is directly related to erectile function because for an erection to occur it is necessary for the blood vessels in the penis to be healthy and have the ability to relax. Selenium is another of the substances that stands out in the composition of pistachio, because it favors spermatogenesis without any disturbance.^{[citation needed]}

World production

Pistachio production (tonnes in 2005)

Main pistachio producers (2018) (tonnes)
IranIran	551 307
United States	447 700
TurkeyTurkey	240 000
SyriaSyria	28 800
ChinaChina	74 828
GreeceGreece	8 558
ItalyItaly	3 864
UzbekistanUzbekistan	3 167
AfghanistanAfghanistan	2 734

Source

Taxonomy

Pistacia vera was described by Carlos Linnaeus and published in Species Plantarum 2: 1025. 1753.

Etymology

The word alfóncigo (according to the Spanish Royal Academy) derives from the Spanish Arabic alfústaq, this from classical Arabic fustuq, this from Middle Persian pistag, and in turn this from the Greek πιστάκη, πιστάκιον " pistákion ".

The word pistachio comes from Italian "pistacchio", through Latin, from Greek πιστάκιον "pistákion", from Middle Persian " *pistak" (Farsi variant is پسته "hint").

Due to international culinary use, it is much better known as pistachio (from the Italian pistacchio), being one of the already classic flavors for ice creams and milkshakes. pistachio.

Common names

• Spanish: alfócigo, alfóncigo, alfónsigo, alfónsigos (fruto), alfonsic, alfosigo, alhócigo, alhosigo, alhosigo, alhóstigo, alpistasia, fística, picacho, pistachio, pistachio (fruto), pistachio (fruto), pistachio (fruto),