Pistacchio Verde di Bronte

Appearance & taste

The cotyledons of Pistacchio Verde di Bronte are bright green, and the fruit is elongated. The taste is strong and aromatic, without any mouldy or foreign taste. The pistachios contain at most 6 % moisture and a lot of monounsaturated fat; the specification sets limits for palmitic, linoleic and oleic acid, as well as for the ratio of chlorophylls a and b.

The pistachio is sold in the shell, shelled or skinned, in new packaging and no later than two years after the harvest. Every pack bears the logo of the designation of origin: a stylised Etna with a pistachio and the words “Denominazione d’Origine Protetta DOP” and “Pistacchio Verde di Bronte”. The year of production must also be stated; the week of harvest is optional.

Production

The protected name applies only to fruit of the Napoletana pistachio variety (Pistacia vera), also called Bianca or Nostrale, grafted onto terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus). Other varieties or rootstocks may make up at most 5 % of the plants in a plantation; their fruit is not certified. Growing, harvesting and processing take place in the production area.

Origin & history

The area lies at 400 to 900 m altitude in the municipalities of Bronte, Adrano and Biancavilla in the province of Catania. The soils are of volcanic origin, and the climate is subtropical-Mediterranean and semi-arid, with long, dry summers. Rain falls mainly in autumn and winter, and temperatures vary widely between day and night. According to the specification, the soils, the climate and the terebinth as rootstock give the fruit its green colour, its elongated shape, its aromatic taste and its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids.

The specification traces the widespread growing of pistachios in Sicily back to Arab rule in the 8th and 9th centuries; besides lemons, oranges, sugar cane and cotton, the Arabs also brought the pistachio to the island. To this day the green pistachios from Bronte are a typical ingredient of many Sicilian desserts, especially around Catania.