State of the Plate: Pistachio Powers Up

For nearly a decade, the U.S. has led the world in pistachio production and consumption—it’s also the largest exporter of the popular nut. Forecasters at RaboResearch don’t see a slowdown in activity anytime soon, predicting that the pistachio market’s growth will be driven by a powerful combination of factors, including product innovation and promotion, nutritional profile and year-round availability.

This is all good news for chefs and menu developers, who are leaning into the nut’s proven appeal and ready compatibility with other ingredients.

Shining in Savory Dishes

Middle Eastern in origin, pistachios are right at home in the Mediterranean kitchen. They add appealing texture to pasta dishes like Busiati al Pesto di Pistacchio e Ragú di Salmone at Piccola Cucina Uptown in New York City, which dresses the Sicilian corkscrew busiati pasta with pistachio pesto and salmon ragu. James Beard-recognized Mucci’s Italian in St. Paul, Minn., goes the specialty pasta route, too, with torchio, a Northern Italian noodle that’s curved to cup the sauce. In one offering at Mucci’s, the sauce is made with Spanish chorizo, artichokes and olives in pistachio cream—with chopped pistachios on top for a crunchy texture.

Pistachios readily upgrade proteins from plain to fancy. In Monterey, Calif., two-location Lalla Grill uses the nut in place of breading in its Pistachio Crusted Chicken Salad. Not only does the pistachio add crunch, it also complements the various flavors: enhancing the earthiness of the mixed greens while bringing sweet, nutty contrast to the tangy notes of Granny Smith apple and dried cranberry. Meanwhile, chicken and waffles enjoy a touch of Mediterranean sophistication at The Morning Fork in Sacramento, Calif., where sage-fried chicken is served atop fluffy, pearl sugar-filled Belgian waffles with pistachio butter, pistachios, almonds and praline dust.

Pizza makers are exploring the potential of the nut as well. At Doughbird, a growing brand under Fox Restaurant Concepts, the Copper Hat Pizza marries sweet and salty with toppings of arugula, prosciutto and goat cheese with Medjool dates and salted pistachios. By contrast, the Michelangelo Pizza at Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks in Minneapolis goes all in on sweet heat with a pie that combines bacon, jalapeño and caramelized onion with pistachio cream sauce and a brush of hot honey.

As a salad topper, pistachio puts the crunch in North Italia’s Seasonal Vegetable Salad, where it shares the plate with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, alongside dates, fregola, pecorino cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette. At Ggiata Delicatessen, a delivery-and-pick-up-only concept in Los Angeles, the Bitter Greens Salad combines arugula and grilled radicchio with shaved fennel, roasted broccolini, goat cheese and roasted pistachios, finished with balsamic vinaigrette.

Starring in Sweet Treats

The buttery, fruity flavor of the pistachio makes it right at home in snacks and desserts. Last summer, Häagen-Dazs relaunched its Pistachio Ice Cream with lightly roasted California pistachio chunks. More recently, Baskin-Robbins promised “luck at first bite” with St. Patrick’s Day treats that included an appropriately pale green Pistachio Almond Ice Cream.

Many chefs are raiding the global pantry for pistachio inspiration. At Diane’s Place in Minneapolis, Thai Tea Affogato reimagines the trendy dessert with espresso, Thai tea ice cream and pistachio chantilly. At Somedays Bakery in New York City, Pistachio Lattice plays a variation on the croissant with a filling of pistachio frangipane (pastry cream), raspberry jam and white chocolate; it’s all crowned with a pastry crisscross and a generous sprinkling of crushed pistachios.

Movida, a Persian-Mexican fusion restaurant in San Francisco, dishes up the best of both worlds with classics like Arroz con Leche—rice pudding that benefits from the addition of rose water and pistachio—and Tres Leches Roulette, a take on a classic Persian cake roll that incorporates strawberries and pistachios. And vegetable-focused Vedge in Philadelphia makes regular use of the nut in memorable meal enders like Pistachio Panna Cotta with sumac-cherry jam, Pistachio Bundt with lemon curd, praline, ginger cream and candied peel, and the recent Winter Citrus Baklava with blood orange, olive oil ice cream and pistachio.

Brightening Beverages

Pistachio syrup adds value and perks up coffee drinks. Last December, Ziggi’s Coffee invited patrons to step into the new year with a “comforting and daring” Pistachio Oat Milk lineup that includes hot, iced and blended options, along with a Pistachio Cold Foam Topper available on any cold drink.

Pistachio brews are back by popular demand at Dunkin’, which welcomes spring with the return of Pistachio Coffee, available hot or iced for a limited time, and Starbucks, which has brought back fan favorites Pistachio Latte and Pistachio Cream Cold Brew for a seasonal promotion.

McDonald’s spinoff CosMc’s, which has become something of a beverage bellwether, introduced Pistachio Swirl Shaken Espresso in late January. The texture-forward build mixes espresso with pistachio flavors below a cloud of oat milk foam.

On a related note, Gott’s Roadside locations in the San Francisco Bay area shake things up with a pistachio double header: Returning cult favorite Pistachio Shake is hand-spun with white pistachio ice cream and topped with crushed pistachios.

Outlook and Opportunity

An unbeatable combination of flavor, texture and color guarantees pistachio’s MVP status among menu developers. Plus, the nut may get a short-term boost thanks to TikTok, which has made Dubai chocolate a viral sensation. The confection typically combines milk chocolate with pistachios or pistachio cream and crispy phyllo bits. Versions have been popping up all over, as at Union Square Donuts in New York City, where the Dubai Chocolate Bar fills brioche with toasted kataifi, or shredded phyllo and pistachio cream, all topped with dark chocolate glaze and a dash of yellow-green icing.

They may realize longer-term impact with the publication of 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, currently undergoing regulatory review. Advance reports indicate that nuts and seeds will be bumped up the list of the protein foods group, further enhancing their consumer appeal—and green-lighting even more menu innovation.