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National Pistachio Day

Food · February 26

A day for the pistachio, the green-tinged nut that comes in a half-open shell and turns up in snacks, ice cream and baked goods.

National Pistachio Day falls on Friday, February 26, 2027. That is 122 days away.

Pistachios are the seeds of a small tree, and they arrive already halfway open. When the nut ripens, the shell splits along its seam, which is why most of them can be pried apart with a thumbnail. The kernel inside is green with a purple-red skin, and the color is a large part of its appeal.

The flavor is mild, a little sweet and faintly buttery. Roasted and salted, pistachios make a slow snack, since each one has to be opened by hand. That pace may be the point. A bowl of them on a table tends to collect a second bowl of empty shells beside it, and conversation fills the time in between.

Beyond the snack bowl, pistachios show up in a lot of kitchens. They are folded into baklava, scattered over rice dishes, pressed into a crust for fish, and ground into a paste for ice cream and gelato. Pistachio ice cream in a shop is often brighter green than the nut itself, which says something about how much people expect the color.

A few shells will not open. Those are usually best set aside rather than cracked with your teeth.

The empty shells have uses of their own. Some gardeners spread them at the bottom of plant pots to help with drainage.

Ways to celebrate

• Share a bowl of roasted pistachios and keep a second bowl for shells.
• Try pistachio ice cream or gelato from a local shop.
• Sprinkle chopped pistachios over yogurt, salad or rice.
• Bake cookies or a simple cake with ground pistachios.
• Compare salted and unsalted pistachios side by side.

Dates

All national days on February 26

Also on February 26

• National Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Categories: Food days