What is Pistachio?
{{Speciesbox|name=''Pistacia vera''|image=File:Pistacia vera (Pistachio) tree in RDA, Bogra 04.jpg|status=NT|status_system=IUCN3.1|status_ref=<ref>Participants of the FFI/IUCN SSC Central Asian regional tree Red Listing workshop, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (11–13 July 2006) (2007). ''Pistacia vera. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species'' 2007: e.T63497A12670823. {{doi|10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63497A12670823.en}}</ref>|genus=Pistacia|species=vera|authority=[[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]}} The '''pistachio''' (''Pistacia vera'') is a small [[tree]] from the family [[Anacardiaceae]] (also known as the [[Cashew]] family). It is well known for its [[Seed|seeds]] that are eaten as food. It is native to the [[Middle East]] and [[Central Asia]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lpOqTUucwhUC&dq=pistachio+native&pg=PA84|title=Cooks & Other People: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, 1995|last=Walker|first=Harlan|date=1996|publisher=Oxford Symposium|isbn=978-0-907325-72-7|language=en}}</ref> == The plant == [[File:860631-Pistachio-IMG 6862-2.jpg|alt=Pistachio|thumb|Pistachio fruit, [[Torbat-e Heydarieh]], [[Razavi Khorasan Province|Razavi Khorasan]], Iran]] [[File:Persian Pistachio.jpg|thumb|Shelled pistachio nuts]] [[File:Pistacia napoletana.jpg|alt=Pistachio|thumb|Pistachio tree, cultivar: ''Napoletana'']] The tree grows up to {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}} tall. Its [[leaf|leaves]] are 10–20 centimeters (4–8&nbsp;inches) long. The fruit is a [[stone fruit]]. Only the [[seed]] is edible. The fruit has a hard, cream-colored exterior shell. The seed has a mauve-colored skin and light green flesh. When the fruit ripens, the shell goes from green to yellow or red and splits a bit open.<ref>Towards a comprehensive documentation and use of Pistacia genetic diversity in Central and West Asia, North Africa and Europe, Report of the IPGRI Workshop, 14–17 December 1998, Irbid, Jordan – S.Padulosi and A. Hadj-Hassan, editors</ref> Different varieties split differently. Pistachio trees can give {{convert|50