Cracking Open the Recent Popularity of Pistachio

You’re not imagining it: pistachio is everywhere these days. Letra House has a pork and duck terrine with pistachio. Its sister venue Palazzo Salato has it in its agnolotti dal plin with Wessex Saddleback pig. Akti has pistachio in its Meet Me At Akti cocktail. And Beverly Rooftop has pistachio mousse, while Divino Osteria has pistachio tiramisu.  

“Pistachio’s been a quiet favourite for years in gelato, pastries, savoury dishes and even as just nuts in a bowl,” says Anthony Alafaci, Divino’s owner. “But recently, there’s been this explosion. Now, you’re seeing pistachio lattes, cocktails and even butter.”

Brandon Jones, head chef at Letra House, says he’s always been eating pistachios and that he can’t remember a time they weren’t in kitchens or at venues, particularly in those that serves Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. “I’d say they’re now gaining traction in contemporary styles of traditional cooking,” he says.

As for the reason behind pistachio’s rise in popularity, Alafaci attributes it to their luxurious, nostalgic quality. He adds that their colours make them stand out in photos and videos, so they’re often used in social content.

Nicola Drakopoulos, head of Akti beverage, says it’s the fact pistachios are comforting and familiar, but also elevated and a bit unexpected. “They’re luxurious without being inaccessible,” he says. Akti’s head chef Robert Judd adds that while pistachios used to be expensive, their price has recently gone down.

In December 2024, ABC reported that Australian pistachio harvest that year had been the highest ever on record, with production set to triple over the next eight years. “Roughly 10 years ago the industry had only 700 hectares of trees planted, but that has grown to 3,000 hectares,” it wrote.

Jones thinks their versatility — they work in both sweet and savoury dishes — has also contributed to their rise. When they’re raw, they have a soft, earthy flavour, with a creaminess, but when roasted, they’re intensely rich, nutty and earthy with more crunch. In the pork and duck terrine, pistachio adds texture and pair well with pork.

“We roast them, so the texture is more noticeable, and the flavour is more present throughout the terrine,” says Jones. “If they weren’t roasted, the nuts might be lost among the other ingredients in the terrine.”

Another plus for pistachios in food and drink is that they’re not as in-your-face as a walnut or almond, says David Ball, head chef at Beverly. They bring depth without dominating. He says diners at Beverly are obsessed with the pistachio mousse.

“Textures are where pistachios shine,” he says. “Whether it’s a fine crumb or a chunky scatter, pistachios bring crunch with class. It’s delicate, toasty and a bit creamy once it warms up. It adds contrast to soft dishes like whipped cheese or slow-cooked meats.”

Drakopoulos agrees pistachio’s texture is great for drinks too. When turned into orgeat, cream or syrup, it brings a velvety mouthfeel that adds weight and luxury to a cocktail without needing heavy cream or eggs. “In clarified drinks or milk punches, pistachio rounds out the body, giving that silky, almost dessert-like feel while keeping the drink balanced.”

The Meet Me At Akti cocktail uses pistachio to make an orgeat that’s then paired with clarified guava, Aperol and limoncello. The result is velvety, creamy and, as Drakopoulos puts it, summer-ready.

In Divino’s pistachio tiramisu, the pistachio balances beautifully with the mascarpone and coffee. It also softens the bitterness and gives it a rounded, indulgent taste. Alafaci predicts we’ll start to see the nut in more savoury applications.  

“Pistachio crusts on meats, sauces and even pesto,” he says. “It also has great potential in vegan cooking, especially as a dairy alternative in creamy sauces or desserts. Personally, I’d love to see a pistachio negroni or house-made pistachio liqueur.”

Ball says he’d love to dish combinations like pistachio tahini drizzle over roasted vegetables or a pistachio miso glaze on skewers. “I believe we haven’t even scratched the surface yet,” he says. “We’ve been working on a pistachio chimichurri, which is pairing well with wood-roasted barramundi.”

Really, says Jones, the possibilities with pistachio are endless. You can use them to make creams, purees, butters, pralines or use them raw or roasted. “Because of this, pistachios can morph into an ingredient that could really be used in, quite literally, anything,” he says. “I look forward to seeing how chefs approach this humble nut.”

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