How do you recognize Bronte Pistachio?

A real “Green Gold”

Bronte pistachio is also called “green gold” thanks to its unique characteristics and peculiarities in the world. It represents the largest economic resource for this town territory. The production of pistachio from Bronte is supported by a particularly favorable soil, a temperate climate and family tradition. The cultivation produces precious and tasty fruits. Bronte pistachio is requested all over the world. The organoleptic properties and the color of this product make this product stand out from the others thanks to the particular flavor it has, different from that of other pistachios grown in other areas of the world.
Pistachio of Bronte s very successful is very successful because it is a good product, tasty and highly versatile, so much that it can be used in all kinds of preparations, both sweet and salty. Inside the pastry-making is used for sweets, cakes, dough, creams, confetti, ice cream, nougats and granite. However, Bronte pistachio is also widely appreciated as a condiment in first and second courses, as well as being a tasty element in the traditional Sicilian arancini. It s also used to embellish sausages such as mortadella or salami and even for cosmetics.
About 30.000 quintals every year for a turnover of over 20 million euros. These are the numbers that concern our “green gold” of Sicily. 80% of the production of Bronte pistachio is exported abroad, while the remaining part is used nationally. This fruit is sold in different forms, from the classic unshelled (“babbalucella” in dialect), peeled (without endocarp) and not peeled, or in for of flours, creams, sticks or cut into thin slices.

Bronte, known worldwide for its pistachios

The town of Etna was effectively called “the Italian capital of pistachio”. Bronte, in fact, has always been a center of world exchange especially regarding the promotion of the typical products of its territory. The pistachio represents a symbol for this town and it became a peculiar feature that has influenced not only the economy, but also the culture and the landscape. Pistachio is a fruit that has a very ancient history even mentioned in “Genesis”. It is a product that has been able to lay the foundations on the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Mediterranean towns and people. The arrival on Sicily is due to the Arabs.
Pistachios are grown and produced also in Iran, Turkey and the USA. As far as the European Union is concerned, only Italy, Spain and Greece grow this product. In Sicily the pistachio is grown almost all in Bronte (80% of the cultivated area), with other crops present in the provinces of Caltanissetta and Agrigento.

Bronte Pistachio Characteristics

The first peculiarity that attracts attention and allows to recognize the pistachio of Bronte from others is the color of the paste. It is bright green and appears uniform. Another one, however, concerns the palate, because the pistachio of Bronte has a particular and unmistakable aroma difficult to describe. These peculiarities belong only and exclusively to the product grown in these areas and make this pistachio different from those growing in other parts of Sicily and all over the world. In fact, its characteristics are enhanced thanks to the particular terrain and the extremely favorable climate of the town of Bronte.
In September, the last weekend, a festival dedicated to Sicilian green gold is organized. In the alleys of this town are mounted different stands and stalls where they offer countless products made with Bronte pistachio. Among the most appreciated are certainly pesto, sweet cream, ice cream and arancino. The Pistachio Festival was born with the aim of promoting Bronte pistachio, proposing all its possible variants and it is an event that attracts many visitors from all over the world. The festival is an event that allows Bronte to promote the territory and allow people to taste the fruit with all the many different preparations, both sweet and salty.

PDO for the pistachio of Bronte

Being a particularly popular and especially valuable product, pistachio of Bronte is often threatened by imitations. There is no shortage of distinctly inferior quality products passed off as authentic. For this reason, the green gold of Sicily has obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). The major objective of this recognition is to protect producers of Bronte from “unfair” competitors, but also consumers from fake products passed off as authentic. Thanks to this recognition, the farmers of Bronte managed to regain control of a market that had seen a strong crisis over the years. Bronte pistachio can be marketed only with the PDO mark present and visible on packaging and labels. PDO also shows all the characteristics that the pistachio of Bronte must have in order to be recognized as such.
The color must be intense green, the flavor strongly aromatic and tasty. Production must take place in the territories of Bronte, Biancavilla and Adrano. As proof of actual origin it is necessary to check and certify the production stage at all times. The pistachio bust be obtained in soil prepared by levelling. At the end of the cultivation and production phase, the product can be marketed within two years from the harvesting by affixing the PDO mark on the packaging.

How to grow Bronte Pistachio

The trees are very resistant to drought and find fertile soil in Sicliy for this reason, where it is cultivated at an altitude raging from 300 to 900 meters. The plant is able to adapt to rocky, volcanic and calcareous soils, preferring mainly the southern exposure. The tree has a good resistance to cold temperatures even if it fears frost. Flowering takes place in April, while ripening occurs between May and August. Once harvested, the fruit is still wrapped in the husk that must be removed shortly after with a mechanical rubbing process. The pistachio is then dried in the sun. The “Tignosella”, the pistachio in shell, is the result obtained after the removal of the husk and the solar drying for 2-3 days. The fruit is found inside the unmistakable shell, fundamental to preserve aroma and fragrance. The described operations are carried out by the producer. Then, the pistachio can be deprived of the shell, presenting purple streaks and speckles due to the “film” that protects the fruit. This stage of processing is usually carried out by traders. Finally, when it is deprived of this purple film, the pistachio of Bronte is defined “bald”. The procedure is carried out by means of short exposure of the fruit to water vapor and then it is dried and brought to a very low level of humidity. The bald pistachio is the one that is most used for export. Further processes may lead to the creation of grains (useful for garnishing dishes or cooking), flour (an ingredient used for sweet and savory sough and in the preparation of creams and sauces) or pasta. In the latter case, the pistachio is subjected to a process in which is toasted, chopped and then transformed into a pure compound used in gastronomy and ice cream.

Conclusion

Pistachio of Bronte is an important resource for the town of Etna but also for the whole Sicily. The consumer plays an important role in safeguarding this precious product, which is unique in the world. It becomes essential to pay great attention during the purchase, choosing only the real pistachio of Bronte PDO. Knowing the characteristics it must have will help to recognize the real pistachio of Bronte very easily, compared to the many imitations unfortunately present on the market.