Why Old-School Pistachios Were Red

In the 1988 comedy hit, "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad," characters Frank Drebin and Ed Hocken of the LAPD scope out a person of interest while sitting in a car. As they talk, they each crack open pistachios, and the viewer can't help but laugh at the fact that both of their lips are stained red, like hilariously smeared lipstick. They look this way because they're eating pistachios that are dyed red. Anyone old enough to remember the 1970s and '80s likely recalls that red pistachios were the norm, but younger folk may not have ever seen such a thing.

There are a couple of different accounts of why pistachios once only came in a vivid ruby hue. Some believe a Brooklyn-based pistachio vendor named Zaloom dyed his nutty fare to set him apart from other nut vendors, and the color caught on. But most experts agree that pistachios, which were almost exclusively imported from the Middle East (primarily Iran) from the 1930s through the '70s and into the '80s, were pretty unsightly, and so they were dyed red to hide their imperfections. It was very much a form of food styling. After harvesting and during the drying process, the pistachio shells would get stained. Even though this didn't affect the flavor or texture of the nut, the flaws weren't exactly conducive to the concept of "eating with your eyes first." What better way to brighten up something ugly than with a pop of red? Of course, consumers had to be willing to have their fingers and lips stained after snacking. 

By the 1980s, the United States saw a boom in domestic pistachio production. This was partially because, from 1979 and into the next decade, there were escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, with the U.S. issuing embargoes and sanctions on the Middle Eastern country. California began growing pistachios in large quantities, becoming the largest grower in America and the primary state responsible for feeding the country's pistachio-cracking habit. Improved harvesting technology came about, with machinery able to pick, hull, and dry the nuts quickly, which left the shells in pristine shape. With these advancements, there was no need to hide any imperfections, and so red pistachio shells eventually became a thing of the past. It's worth noting that Iran is still one of the largest producers of pistachios in the world.

Red pistachios used to be available at every gas station and convenience store, but today, you are hard-pressed to find them at all in any store. Luxurious pistachio cream and Dubai-style chocolates, however, are keeping pistachios more relevant than ever before. However, you can still order red pistachios online. They make a fun addition to holiday nut bowls, but consumers may want to consider the presence of red food dye, which wasn't so much of a hot-button issue before the last millennium, but is a major cause of controversy in the food industry today.