# Why are pistachios so expensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026 "2011-10-18T12:15:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/1 "2011-10-18T12:15:46Z")
I’ve seen various answers on the interwebs, however they all seem to be from people acting like pseudo-experts who really have no idea what they’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/2 "2011-10-18T12:23:36Z")
I’d be interested to hear this. Not just pistachios, either, but lots of nuts. Cashews are ridiculously expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/3 "2011-10-18T12:43:16Z")
Yields per unit land area is lower than for comparable crops - about one half to one third that of almonds or peanuts. Probably currently limited by a number of factors, including: The plant is biennial-bearing (so the crop is half what you might expect). It’s a desert plant - adapted to arid conditions, and does not well tolerate the sort of intensive watering and feeding that might provoke heavier cropping in other species. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/4 "2011-10-18T12:45:26Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’d be interested to hear this. Not just pistachios, either, but lots of nuts. Cashews are ridiculously expensive. Cashews again - even lower yield per acre - about a quarter of the yield per acre for peanuts or almonds. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/5 "2011-10-18T12:52:52Z")
Only know about hazelnuts, but there’s lots of handwork involved sorting the nuts once they are cracked to spot moldy ones (Mold is a big problem once you grind them, and the big surface area lets them spoil quicker). If you want to buy whole nuts, you also have to manually sort out the rancid ones (not yet moldy, but taste bitter) and the shrimpled ones, which the customers don’t want. End result is lots of labour = high price. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/6 "2011-10-18T12:58:27Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Cashews are ridiculously expensive. Meant to add - the reason that cashews are quite low-cropping is [this](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M4EAcEwEQkc/S9teA0sgmWI/AAAAAAAAM3k/RmL797MG0Uc/s1600/cashew+1.jpg). The tree devotes a fair chunk of its energy budget to the production of that pear-shaped false fruit (which is edible). The nut is inside that scabby-looking structure on the bottom - one nut per fruit. Also, the shell surrounding the nut is dangerously poisonous - so the nuts need carefull handling and processing, increasing the cost. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/7 "2011-10-18T13:50:42Z")
That’s nuts. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/8 "2011-10-18T15:54:24Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Meant to add - the reason that cashews are quite low-cropping is [this](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M4EAcEwEQkc/S9teA0sgmWI/AAAAAAAAM3k/RmL797MG0Uc/s1600/cashew+1.jpg). The tree devotes a fair chunk of its energy budget to the production of **that pear-shaped false fruit (which is edible**). The nut is inside that scabby-looking structure on the bottom - one nut per fruit. > > Also, the shell surrounding the nut is dangerously poisonous - so the nuts need carefull handling and processing, increasing the cost. The part I bolded - is there any market for it? Edible, yes … but does it taste good? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/9 "2011-10-18T16:00:40Z")
Apparently yes, it’s sweet and juicy and is eaten raw, juiced or made into preserves. I’ve not had the pleasure of trying it yet, but it’s on my list. ---
**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/10 "2011-10-18T16:07:04Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > The part I bolded - is there any market for it? Edible, yes … but does it taste good? According to a television show I saw on the subject, you’re not likely to get to experience one unless you go to where they grow. That ‘pear’ is extremely fragile and doesn’t ship well. Seems like there was some other characteristic that prevented it from being pulped and canned for distribution, but maybe that was just lack of a market. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/11 "2011-10-18T17:29:10Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Apparently yes, it’s sweet and juicy and is eaten raw, juiced or made into preserves. > > I’ve not had the pleasure of trying it yet, but it’s on my list. I know there is a juice made from it in certain parts of central America. I think it’s called jugo maranon or something similar. It’s very tasty and I’ve seen it served in local central american eateries here in the US ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/12 "2011-10-19T05:14:05Z")
What makes it a false fruit? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/13 "2011-10-19T05:32:17Z")
It’s a technical term meaning that the fruit arises from structures other than the directly seed-bearing ovary of the flower. Also known as accessory fruits - other examples of accessory fruits include apples and strawberries, although cashews are perhaps the ideal example because you’ve got the conspicuous accessory fruit, then.this other thing on the end with the seed in it, which is the actual fruit. ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/14 "2011-10-19T14:53:30Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Also, the shell surrounding the nut is dangerously poisonous - so the nuts need carefull handling and processing, increasing the cost. It is sometimes amusing to reflect on edible items that are the “white sheep” of an otherwise nasty family, much as tomatoes are relatives of the deadly nightshade.:eek: Cashews are members of the _Anacardiaceae_ family. Most of us have likely encountered a more familiar member of the family, and may remember it strongly. Poison Ivy.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/15 "2011-10-19T21:50:18Z")
> [@CheeseDonkey](#): > > I’ve seen various answers on the interwebs, however they all seem to be from people acting like pseudo-experts who really have no idea what they’re talking about. [I found this link informative with regards to pistachios and goes back several years.](http://skamberg.com/pistachios.htm) > [@](#): > > Thus, despite the expectation of a larger total crop, the salable open inshell should be very close to last year’s supply. What remains to be seen are the effects of ever increasing Chinese demand, the recent strength of the US dollar, and an expected smaller Iranian crop. The first receipts report for the 2011 crop will be released on October 15th, and we’ll know more then. I also have a pistachio tree on one of my properties (about 5 years old) and I have a lot of blanks or a small squishy white embryonic nut inside although the outside are half rosy in color, but no splits yet. I’m in SoCal…High Desert. ---
**Author:** ![tattman40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tattman40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tattman40)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/16 "2011-10-19T23:06:01Z")
“Because the pistachio is the official nut of the jihad.” Quoted from the movie Anywhere USA. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/17 "2011-10-19T23:26:00Z")
> [@MacLir](#): > > It is sometimes amusing to reflect on edible items that are the “white sheep” of an otherwise nasty family, much as tomatoes are relatives of the deadly nightshade.:eek: Indeed. Carrots:Hemlock. Perhaps the worst group for this is the legumes - lots of superficial similarity across species (one bean looks much like another), but widely various edibility/toxicity. > [@](#): > > Cashews are members of the _Anacardiaceae_ family. Most of us have likely encountered a more familiar member of the family, and may remember it strongly. Poison Ivy.☹ True, but we also get mangoes and pistacio, so it’s OK ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/18 "2011-10-20T02:22:46Z")
And btw, what happened to the pistachios that turned your fingers red? I really like them but now they seem to be extinct. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/19 "2011-10-20T02:38:31Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Apparently yes, it’s sweet and juicy and is eaten raw, juiced or made into preserves. > > I’ve not had the pleasure of trying it yet, but it’s on my list. It is very sweet smelling and the fruit is indeed quite fragile and easily bruised. My wife used to keep them in her fruit bowl when she was living in Brazil. She liked the way they made the whole house smell nice. Cashew apple is similar to lemon in that it smells great but you might not enjoy a bite from one. The best thing to do with cashew apples is to make a delicious light and fragrant summer drink by adding sugar and water. Cashew juice tastes nothing like the nuts. They sell cashew juice concentrate in the international section of some larger supermarkets. It’s a yellow liquid in a bottle. Try it some time ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026/20 "2011-10-20T03:47:23Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > And btw, what happened to the pistachios that turned your fingers red? I really like them but now they seem to be extinct. [Staff report on why pistachios are/were red.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1796/why-are-pistachios-colored-red) Ignore the initial silliness. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-pistachios-so-expensive/600026.md?page=2)