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Explainer: Pistachio di Bronte

Published for the Spring Street Grocer
5 November 2020

Pistachio di Bronte —  it's the pale green, slightly salty and ever-so-creamy gelato flavour that sells out most nights. You sample the weekly specials, but can't help ordering a scoop of the velvety, green pistachio. And we don't blame you. 

But what actually is Bronte? 

Pistachio di Bronte translates to pistachio of Bronte, Bronte being a small agricultural village in Sicily which sits on Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes.

As the volcano spurts out smoke into the blue Sicilian sky, this pistachio variety thrives on the hilly volcanic earth below. And only here does it acquire a bright emerald-green colour and DOP status. 

The official title is pistacchio verde di Bronte DOP (which means green pistachio from Bronte, controlled designation of origin) and are often referred to as ‘Bronte red’. This classification is similar to how iconic wine appellations of Europe are catalogued.

The trees are not fertilised or irrigated and are only pruned a couple of times during unproductive years. They are so valuable that, as this BBC article reports, police patrol the farms on foot and via helicopter to protect the precious crop from thieves. Its rich volcanic soil is considered to be the reason for producing such flavoursome, bright tasting pistachios.

Pistachios from Bronte are very distinct from the pistachios most people are used to.

  • The first thing that catches the eye is their bright green colour. Immediately after the pistachios are picked from their tree, their colour is so intense and bright that you’ll think you are holding a tiny green light bulb in your hands.
  • The fruit itself is a little smaller and more tapered than other varieties.
  • The small green kernel is covered by a purple velvet-like peel; the peel can be either eaten or removed. More of a seed than a nut, they are resonant with fat and are slightly resinous in flavour.
  • The pistachio trees have to alternate productive years with years of rest, and during the rest years the farmers trim off the few buds that sprout on the branches so that the tree can store its energy for the next season.