Yes, technically a pistachio is a fruit.
Pistachios are commonly mistaken as nuts, but botanically, they are classified as drupes. A drupe is a type of fruit that has a fleshy outer part surrounding a shell (the pit, or stone) with a seed inside. Other examples of drupes include peaches, cherries, and olives. With pistachios, we eat the seed inside the shell, while the fleshy outer layer is removed during processing.
Here's a breakdown:
- Botanical Classification: Drupe (a type of fruit)
- Culinary Use: Often considered and used as a nut.
- Drupe Characteristics: Fleshy outer layer, hard shell (pit), seed inside.
While pistachios are often used in culinary applications like nuts, their botanical classification confirms they are indeed fruits.
