Shelled Pistachios

This green jewel of the Middle East is unique for its color (due to chlorophyll and lutein). Extracted from their shells and stripped of their skin by a rapid thermal shock in boiling water, pistachios offer a resinous, buttery, and deeply elegant scent. Excessive heat destroys its green pigment, turning it khaki-brown. It is often used raw or very lightly oven-dried to garnish terrines, Middle Eastern pastries, or create striking emerald-green ice creams.