If you’ve ever dreamed of stocking your cabinets with countless bags of sweet, green pistachios, you are not alone! …Okay, maybe you’re a bit alone… that’s a LOT of pistachios, people!
But, we can understand the sentiment! Pistachios are delicious, salty sweet nuts that are just so fun to eat thanks to their slightly open shells!
However we get to a point where we notice that pistachios are actually addictive, and we need to watch how many we eat. So let’s see why pistachios are so addictive and what we can do about it.
Why are pistachios so addictive ?
Pistachios are so addictive due to their oil content. This makes their flavor stand out even more, and it’s a very common phenomenon when it comes to nuts.
They also tend to be addictive because they’re delicious, and they’re so small you don’t notice how many you eat until the bag is nearly empty. Much like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, pistachios need to be cracked out of their shells and this gives us small endorphin boosts. This is the reason why sometimes you crave pistachios.
There is another thing to consider. Do you know how sometimes you just can’t stop chewing your lip ? Cracking and eating pistachios is akin to that, and since they taste so great they’re really hard to put down.
Thankfully there are ways to get around how addictive pistachios are, and we’ll explain them here. Just know that you’re not alone, and that nuts in general have that effect on people.
Buy pistachios in their shells
There are shelled pistachios, and there are pistachios that still have their shells on. We recommend buying shell-on pistachios, since they provide more of a challenge, and they’re not as easy to snack on.
This will help you start cutting down on the amount of pistachios you are eating, since it won’t be as easy.
Read Also:Sunflower Seed Substitute
Keep the shells within sight
Make sure you keep the pistachio shells within sight. Put them all in a bowl or a paper towel, so you have a way of tracking how many pistachios you’ve eaten. while this won’t stop you altogether, it will remind you to slow down or eat less.
Only take a portion and then hide the rest
If you don’t trust yourself when it comes to pistachios and nuts in general, don’t bring the entire bag with you. Get the smallest bowl you can find, or use a teacup. Fill that with a small portion of pistachios, and hide the rest of the bag.
This way when you’ve finished snacking on the pistachios you won’t have any bag to reach for to get a refill.
Do not buy pistachios often
Possibly the easiest method, simply don’t buy pistachios. Or at least not as often as you usually do. Pistachios are pretty expensive on their own, and they can put a strain on your budget if you’re an avid consumer.
When you do buy pistachios, buy smaller, more expensive packets. This will reflect in your wallet and you’ll be much less tempted to buy and eat more.
What are pistachios?
Also known by their Latin name Pistacia vera, pistachios are culinary nuts that are actually part of the cashew family, Anacardiaceae! Bet you didn’t see that one coming!
Native to Central Asia, the pistachio as we know it dates back all the way to cultivation from the Asian Bronze Age! Interestingly enough, it is actually the seed of a red, pointed, desert drupe fruit! Its tree is very strong and hearty, sometimes being able to survive for up to 300 years.
What do pistachios look like?
Widely known for their bright green color, pistachios are actually not naturally green, at least not on the outside! The fleshy pistachio fruit is red, the edible part of the nut itself is green, but the protective shell is actually a light beige.
So, if you have ever seen a pistachio encased in a bright green shell, it was simply a marketing technique… Many pistachios are sold inside shells that have been dyed green to grab the attention of the consumer.
Plus, if you have ever purchased a roasted pistachio, you may not have even gotten to see green at all! Oftentimes, roasting these tasty tree nuts actually removes that nice, green shade.
Read Also:What Goes With Fig ?
What do pistachios taste like?
Pistachios tend to be one of the most popular nuts out there! This is in part due to their color, but mostly due to their fabulous flavor! If you get a really good batch of pistachios, you’re in for a snack that is buttery soft and calmingly delicious with just the right amount of sweetness!
Some even describe the taste of this unique little nut as having some subtle notes of pine and mint! But, that may just be the mind playing tricks due to pistachios’ shocking green hue!
That’s it about pistachios and why they’re so addictive. These wonderful little nuts are not only delicious but also hard to put down !
Conclusion
So, pistachios are addictive due to their fat content, their awesome taste and the habit of eating small things to distract you from whatever you are doing is no joke. Combine all those and it makes quite clear the fact that craving pistachios is a real thing, especially if you have nothing to do at the moment or when socializing.