Pistachio

These delicious nuts with their beautiful green color are native to Iran: Nicolaus of Damascus wrote in the first century bce: “The youths of the Persians were taught to endure heat, cold, and rain; to cross torrents and to keep their armor and clothes dry; to pasture animals, to watch all night in the open air, and to subsist on wild fruit, such as pistachios, acorns, and wild pears.” In Iran, pistachios are used for dishes ranging from soup to desserts. The English term, among others, derives from the Persian.