Yes, pistachios are technically a fruit!
Understanding Pistachios: Fruit, Not a Nut
While commonly referred to as a nut, the pistachio (Pistacia vera) is botanically classified as a drupe. A drupe is a type of fleshy fruit with a hard shell surrounding a seed. Think of peaches, cherries, and apricots – these are all drupes. The key difference is that with pistachios, we consume the seed inside the hard shell, discarding the fleshy fruit surrounding it. Other drupes, conversely, have edible fleshy fruit and a seed (often a pit) we typically discard.
Why the Confusion?
The confusion arises because the edible part of the pistachio is the seed, similar to what we consider nuts. However, the botanical classification hinges on the fruit's structure, not the part we eat.
- Drupe Structure: Pistachios have a fleshy outer layer (which we discard), a hard shell, and a seed inside (which we eat). This perfectly aligns with the definition of a drupe.
- Culinary Usage: In everyday language and culinary terms, pistachios are often grouped with nuts due to their texture and usage in recipes.
