We have to confess, we are pistachio addicts. We love the unique aroma of roasted, salted pistachio nuts, and we’ll go to great lengths to crack open every last shell to get to the cherished treasure once we’ve measured out our daily dose.
Of course, the addiction extends to pistachio delicacies. You can spot the “passionate ones” because they never leave a Turkish restaurant without baklava, always ask for the green scoop on top in ice cream parlors, can devour a little halva, and have pistachio croissants set aside for them every morning at the bakery.
Transforming Every Bit into Culinary Delights
So, it’s understandable why we couldn’t wait any longer for pistachios. If something is so delicious, it must be pressed into oil—there’s no way around it. And speaking of oil pressing, in the case of a zero-waste company, this means that a little natural pistachio cream and pistachio flour will undoubtedly find their way off the production line. ☺️
But what does this mean exactly? Just like with all other nuts. When we extract the oil from the nut, we let it sit for a while to allow the larger, heavier particles to settle at the bottom. We “skim off” the oil, then bottle it in due course. The dense mass settling at the bottom is sealed in a glass jar as a gourmet cream, without any other additives or preservatives. What remains after pressing the nut, known as “snake” (working title: pellet), sees the light of day on the other side of the press head, winding its way into the flour mill. Thus, three types of fine food are made from one nut:
- cold-pressed pistachio oil
- gourmet pistachio butter, and
- gluten-free pistachio flour.
Pistachio Oil: A Treasure Extracted from the Pistachio Kernel
Pistachio oil is a favorite among chefs, and it probably doesn’t need an introduction to connoisseurs. If you haven’t used it and have no idea what it’s for, start with a sensory test. The silky-smooth taste of cold-pressed pistachio oil calls for sweetness. If you’re not in the mood to cook right away, drizzle it on ice cream, oatmeal, fruit salads, smoothies, or on fruits baked in the oven with honey and cinnamon. Unleash your culinary creativity, feel free to try it on salads, cheese platters, roasted vegetables, sauces, soups, pasta dishes, grilled meats, fish, and desserts. It enhances the enjoyment and presentation of served dishes.
Cold-Pressed Pistachio Oil: Preserving the Goodness of the Nut
But let’s get back to oil pressing, as it’s not done in the usual way at Grapoila. For us, most types of nuts go to the press without roasting because our intention is to preserve their entire nutritional arsenal for those who consume our oils for the sake of their health. Undoubtedly, most available pistachio oils are made from roasted kernels, because roasting gives them a pleasant aroma, but the heat treatment involved in roasting means that you lose a good part of the nutritional value of the kernel.
A Powerhouse of Health
Unroasted pistachio oil — like other cold-pressed oils — is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Additionally, it is abundant in vitamins A and B, minerals, and antioxidants. When added to our meals, besides the marvelous taste, it supports the cardiovascular system and fortifies us against free radicals. Applied externally — on our face, skin, as a massage or bath oil, hair and nail care — it contributes to maintaining the integrity, beauty, elasticity, and hydration of our skin. It’s an excellent massage and bath oil, a hair and nail care product, with a mild sun protection effect.
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