Today for Mystery Monday, it was pistachio day. What better thing to do than ask a pistachio themed question today?

98% of the pistachios produced in the United States are from what state?

The answer, of course, was California!
Congrats to

Here are some more fun facts!
– Pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees, and are one of the only two nuts mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 43:11). Humans have eaten pistachio nuts for at least 9,000 years.
– Pistachios are related to the mango and the spice sumac.
– The trees are planted in orchards, and take approximately seven to ten years to reach significant production.
– Production is alternate-bearing meaning the harvest is heavier in alternate years.
– Peak production is reached around 20 years.

Do pistachios have health benefits? Well of course they do.
– A 1-ounce serving of these nuts (approximately 49 pistachio kernels) contains 6 grams of protein
– Pistachios are a high-fat food, but that’s not a bad thing. Per serving, pistachios contain 13 total grams of fat. Only 2 grams of which are saturated fats.
– Pistachios are an excellent source of antioxidants, including lutein, beta-carotene, and gamma-tocopherol. Beta-carotene serves as a precursor to vitamin A, while gamma-tocopherol is used as a precursor to vitamin E. Both vitamin A and vitamin E themselves have very high antioxidant activity, making pistachios a great way to reap some of the oxidative damage-fighting effects of these vitamins.

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Here’s a picture of some pistachios on a tree.
They look a bit like mangos, don’t they?

Here are some recipies because you can’t have the Afternoon Drive without recipies.
Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream
Pistachio Brie Puffs 
Here’s just the whole thing. They all look delicious.

Thanks for listening!
– Hannah and Lilly