You may not have heard of "Pistachio", but you have definitely eaten it!

Today’s hot topic comes from this guy in the comment section.

After seeing the question, I searched my mind and found that apart from the crispy taste of pistachios, I had no idea about the tree from which they came. So let's dig into the secrets of pistachios below.

ps: Your questions in the comment section also have a chance to be selected for answering~ Ask more questions and interact more! !

The Secret of Pistachios

I bet most of you don't know the name of pistachio, it's called pistachio . This exotic name reveals that it is not a local product. It comes from Central Asia and the Middle East, and was later introduced to remote areas of China. It is now mainly grown in Xinjiang, Gansu and other places.

Pistachios do grow on trees, as this kid said. The tree is a small deciduous tree of the genus Pistacia in the Anacardiaceae family. It is a precious dry fruit and woody oil tree species. It looks like this↓

The tree species is precious, and the trunk material is also very good, fine and hard, with beautiful color, so it can also be used to make wood carvings and high-end furniture. Pistachios themselves are also rich in nutrients, rich in vitamins and trace elements, and can be said to be full of treasures.

However, since it is a treasure, not everyone can grow it. **Pistachio trees like light and are drought-resistant, but are more afraid of humid and waterlogged environments, so they are also excellent tree species for soil and water conservation. **There are no requirements for soil, as long as it is not saline-alkali land. It is also very adaptable to temperature, but it needs a large temperature difference between day and night during the fruit-bearing period. And there must be a cold enough winter to break the buds' internal dormancy.

Leaves of the Syrian pistachio tree

Another reason to discourage planting is that it takes a long time to bear fruit. In an orchard, it may take seven to ten years to reach a significant yield, and the peak production period is around 20 years. Even for grafted seedlings, it is basic to wait three to four years before bearing fruit. Of course, their lifespan is also very long, up to 300 years.

The pistachios on the tree are oblong in shape, and their skin gradually changes from green to yellow-red as they grow.

The pistachios we eat are the kernels inside. The sign of their maturity is that they crack. However, due to some reasons such as variety and environment, the pistachios we eat now are not necessarily naturally cracked. Some are cracked with the help of machines.

Because of this crack, it looks like a grinning mouth, so it is named "pistachio". With this beautiful meaning, pistachio has become one of the indispensable dried fruits during festivals.

However, students who like to eat pistachios must be careful. Pistachios have a hidden danger, which is that they may contain aflatoxin. Because they are easily targeted by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, both of which can produce aflatoxin, a carcinogen . So you must buy pistachios from regular channels, and don't buy those from unknown sources for cheap, otherwise the pistachios may not make you happy.

Author: Fish

Source: Interesting Science