On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 04:37:27 GMT, James McIninch
> wrote:

> Originally, pistachios were imported into the US from the middle east. The
> traditional harvesting methods left unsightly blemishes on the nuts that
> seemed to turn off US consumers. US importers found that if the masked the
> pistachio blemishes using red vegetable dye, they sold more to US consumers
> (who, at the time, seemed ready to accept that the nuts might naturally be
> that color).
>
> Since the 1970s the US has developed domestic pistachio crops and no longer
> needs to import the ratty looking middle eastern nuts. Nice looking
> pistachios combined with cost conciousness on the producer side and health
> consciousness on the consumer side has made the blonde pistachio variety
> quite a bit more popular than the red kind. Today, "red" probably indicates
> "low-grade".

LOLL! Never, in my entire lifetime, have I associated RED
pistachios with a lower grade and no one I know has ever
mentioned it to me. I like the red ones - they have better
eye appeal.... and I've never noticed a price difference.





Practice safe eating - always use condiments