The best-tasting pistachio origins

When it comes to nuts that are on trend, look no further than pistachios. Turn one way and you'll see them on a salad; turn another and you'll see them in a dessert. Even though they've been around for, well, a while (since 6750 B.C. in fact), pistachios have reemerged as the "it" nut of the moment. A recent headline from Eater staff writer Amy McCarthy, "The Pistachio Moment is Already My Favorite Food Trend of 2023," makes it official: We're in our pistachio era.

So, how do you shop for them?

Well, it depends on what you want to do with them. If you're anything like my husband Craig, you'll want to pick them apart with your fingers, in which case Wonderful Pistachios ($9.99 for a 16-ounce bag at Vons grocery store in Los Angeles) are the pistachios for you. Not only do they come in a variety of flavors (salt and pepper, sweet chili), they have an excellent work-to-reward ratio. Prying them apart is a cinch and the pistachios inside the shell are meaty and substantial.