“This is absolutely the Pistachio Motherland.”
Pistachios are the green gold ofSicily . Which makes Bronte , a gem of a town nestled between Catania and the slopes ofMount Etna , the green gold mine of Sicily . Its medieval scenery is scatter with cobblestone street and stony terrain , but it ’s what falls from the thin branches of the countless pistachio nut trees whose ancestor manage to nose through the dim lava rocks that define the area .
Locals make and sellla filetta(pie with moolah , eggs , flour , and pistachios),handmade pastawith pistachio flour ( which is sweet than regular pasta ) , pistachio arancini ( rice balls hide in a crispy shell that hand way to a creamy interior where pistachio nut - infused risotto cradles molten Malva sylvestris ) , and brioche with pistachio granita ( a pastry dough that melts into a consortium of pistachio nut perfection , sending waving of cool pleasantness ting with kooky undercurrent ) .
“ This is absolutely the Pistachio Motherland — it ’s a immense part of the richness of Sicily as what grows here has a unique tasting , ” excuse Laura Lupo , proprietor ofA ’ Ricchigia , a well - known agricultural ship’s company that makes pistachios its real clientele .
Raffaele Di Rosa/Getty Images
“ agnize the Bronte pistachio is n’t promiscuous if you ’re inexperient , as they look so much like generic pistachios at first coup d’oeil , ” says Giuseppe , a self - use farmer and agronomist . “ But just look at the configuration and colour . If the grains are elongated and the color includes bright dark-green and purple shades , it ’s original . This specialness derive from the place in which it was grown , rich in minerals such as silica , branding iron , and manganese just like the Etna vent can be . On the other hand , common Pistacia vera ( fromGreece , Türkiye , or nearby Sicilian regions ) will search more rounded and dark green . ”
The origin of the pistachio nut in Italy particular date back to the 8th century , when the Arabs subdue Sicily and started planting thousands of come in Agrigento and Caltanissetta , mainly to be eaten as bite or transform into grains to garnish the dessert of the fourth dimension — namely , baklava and kunafa . But they presently happen that the soil surrounding Etna was more fertile thanks to the volcanic body process and the temperature gain 68 degree Fahrenheit , making the nearby Bronte the utter plaza for these types of crops .
Today , explicate Lucio , an agriculture expert , the pistachio are “ harvested only by hand with bags tied around the neck opening , because no mechanical means can reach the menstruation of cooled volcanic lava . Plus , they ’re very touchy , and this does n’t interrupt the employment to empty the hands or put the pistachio in a separate container , thus have more agility in reaching the higher ones . ”
siculodoc/iStock/Getty Images
Bronte and its pistachios realize their international celebrity in the forties thanks to James W. Parkinson . He was a passionatePhiladelphia ice creammaker by deal , who , after years of field had learned about Bronte and its particular cultivation of pistachio , and felt the need to give it a “ new life ” as an export to the United States . After multiple experiments , he later manufacture pistachio ice cream , entirely made with ingredient from Sicily .
These Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , Parkinson ’s pistachio internal-combustion engine ointment tradition continues in Bronte atPasticceria F.lli Gangi , Yogurtlandia - Bronte , Pasticceria Maestri del Pistacchio , andBar Conti Gallenti , where you could even take workshop in how to make pistachio nut - flavour dessert dainty for yourself , such as ice cream , frozen yoghourt , or a traditional Italian pastry distinguish pastarella . Meanwhile , local eating house likePepe RosaandLa Vitaoffer homemade bruschetta , scallops , Italian rice , alimentary paste , and sweet treats — all garnish with Bronte PDO Pistachio cream , grains , or seeds . ( If you do n’t be after to be in Sicily anytime soon , you may order Bronte - born pistachio directly fromVincente Delicacies official tocopherol - Commerce Department internet site . ) Outside of the city , guide spell are uncommitted at pistachio farms , where you may get a glance into the meticulous proficiency employed by their Fannie Farmer , their hand working in harmony with the land to sustain these precious light-green gems .
September is the good time to visit Bronte , as that ’s when the so - called “ Pistachio Festival ” learn place . During it , the master square is transform into a bustling hub of excitation and gaiety , quiver with the rhythm of live music and the aroma of pistachio nut - instill pleasure . From heaping jars of velvety pistachio nut pesto to decadent lug panettone burst with nutty good , every raciness is a celebration of the pistachio in all its glory .
Daniele De Vivo/iStock/Getty Images
It is nothing short of a dark-green gold spate .
Wirestock/Getty Images
