By Suzana 
Have you heard of the smiling nuts in China? They have a semi-open shell and are seeds of fruit in Sicily’s volcano. These nuts are called pistachio. In the Old testament, pistachio is said to be the favorite of the queen of Sheba. The nut reached Greece during the conquest of Alexander, the Great in 300 BC. While Tiberius of Rome introduced pistachio to Spain and Italy.
Pistachio was known as the Italian penny nut in Europe. By the 1880s, importing pistachio became popular in the United States. They were commonly used as bars, butter, paste, and snacks among American households. Today, Arizona, California, and New Mexico are some of the largest commercial growers of pistachio.
With the growing demand for pistachio comes a new way of using it. Pistachio has been used to make butter and paste. Pistachio butter features a green color, a salty-sweet taste, and a slimy texture. Let’s dig deeper in knowing what’s the best pistachio butter.
What is Pistachio Butter?
Pistachio butter is made of finely chopped shelled pistachio. They are ground until a creamy and smooth oily paste is produced. At home, you can easily make your pistachio butter using a food processor. First, toast the nuts lightly. While warm, grind them using the food processor to unleash the oil.
Scrape the work bowl from time to time and continue grinding until the nut turns into a silky-smooth butter. You can add a pinch of salt to flavor the butter. Pistachio butter has plenty of fibre, manganese, omega-3, and potassium.
What are the Benefits of Pistachio Butter?
Pistachio butter is loaded with nutrients that keep the body healthy. Among these nutrients are:
- Carbohydrates
- Copper
- Fats
- Lutein
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Proteins
- Thiamine
- Vitamin B6
Pistachio butter is one of the richest foods containing vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is an important nutrient for hemoglobin production and blood sugar regulation. Pistachio butter is also rich in potassium that regulates high blood pressure.
With its lutein component, pistachio butter helps promote eye health. With its polyphenols and tocopherols, pistachio butter helps prevent cancer and heart diseases. Pistachio butter can also aid weight loss because they have lower calories and more proteins.
What are the Best Ways to Use Pistachio Butter?
The best pistachio butter is the ones that you mixed with savory foods and sweets. Here are 5 ways to enjoy it.
Pistachio butter and yogurt make a great parfait. Parfait is a frozen dessert. They can be eaten as breakfast, dessert, and lunch. Try folding melted pistachio butter on Greek yogurt – either in plain or vanilla flavor. You can mix the parfait with blueberries, granolas, or strawberries.
It can be combined with honey and peanut butter on sandwiches. Honey, peanut butter, and pistachio butter makes up a perfect triad for sandwiches. Try spreading pistachio butter on a soft French baguette. Lather another slice with peanut butter. Drizzle both slices with a little honey. If you’ve got some leftover pistachio crumbs, you can top the slices with them. Such a sandwich can be gooey and messy but gives an extraordinary crisp taste.
It can be an ice cream drizzle. Use pistachio butter to level up your favorite ice cream. It goes best with vanilla flavor. Drizzle the ice cream with melted pistachio butter and let it stand for a few minutes. Once it hardens, the strong flavor of pistachio butter gives a unique taste to your cold dessert.
It goes well as a pretzel dip. To create a savory and sweet snack, melt pistachio butter and use it as a pretzel dip. It’s more sugary than peanut butter and creates a more balanced taste.
It goes well with strawberries. For those with a sweet tooth, you can pistachio butter for around 40 seconds in a microwave. Afterward, deep the strawberry on the melted pistachio butter and refrigerate overnight. You’ll then have a juicy and sweet morning snack.