Gently flavored with onion and garlic, the fresh-roasted goodness of these California pistachios shines through. All photography by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.
|
KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
|
|
August 2009
|
|
Good Ingredients Pistachio Nuts
Fresh Plain & Flavored Pistachios
CAPSULE REPORT: Good Ingredients is a California company that grows and roasts pistachio nuts in the family orchard in Santa Barbara County, California, and seasons them with natural flavors. The nuts are delicious grab & go snacks in resealable bags, and are heart-healthy, high-protein gifts. The line is certified kosher by OK.
Overview
In food circles, Santa Barbara County, California, may be best known for its wines, thanks to the 2004 film Sideways. Located on California’s South Central Coast, it is an oasis of rolling hills, ancient oak trees and cattle ranches that boasts more than 60 wineries and 21,000 acres of vines under cultivation. With such neighbors, the pistachio orchards might feel like so much chopped liver...if the nuts weren’t equally as noteworthy (nutworthy?).
In Santa Barbara County, family farmers still tend to their lovely pistachio orchards. One, the Zannon family, was a Top Pick Of The Week with their Santa Barbara Pistachio Company. Down the road, another family grows and markets Good Ingredients pistachios.
Pistachios are a nut bargain:
- At 160 calories/ounce, they tie with cashews for the lowest calories
- At 6g protein/ounce, they tie with almonds for the most protein and the
most fiber (3g/ounce)
- At 13g/ounce, they tie with cashews for the lowest fat
- They also have the most beta-carotene, B6, lutein, phosphorus, phytosterols (which lower your absorption of dietary cholesterol from other foods), potassium, thiamin and zeaxanthin.
A heart-healthy nut, studies have shown that adding pistachios to the diet result in significant decreases in total cholesterol and LDL (bad fat) and increases in HDL (good fat), potentially leading to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Pistachio Nut Flavors
The company roasts an excellent, lightly salted pistachio nut plus four other flavors. We like the grab-and-go aspect of the two-ounce bags, and think they’re great gifts. (Friends who are reading this: This is the kind of food gift we’d like—see our favorite flavors below.)
- Chili Lemon. Moderate chili spice and lively lemon are a lively combination.
- Habanero. Lightly habanero; just the right amount of zing without overwhelming the pistachio flavor.
- Hickory. Subtle smoked hickory flavors are charming.
- Roasted Salted. The “plain” pistachio, lightly salted, for those who don’t want flavors. Surprisingly, although we had no “empties” in any of the flavored nuts in the plastic bags, there were more than a few nutless shells in this plain kraft bag.
- Onion Garlic. Onion and garlic powders unite in a sure-fire popular flavor.
- “The Kenny.” An assortment of all the flavors—Kenny obviously couldn’t choose.
|
Habanero pistachio nuts—not hot, just ticklish. |
The resealable, heavy duty Ziploc bags keep the pistachios fresh; after 6 weeks, the nuts in the kraft paper bags were significantly less crisp.
The two-ounce bags, which contain two one-ounce portions, are ideal for snacking and make great gifts for health-conscious snackers. They, and the larger sizes, are ideal stocking stuffers as well. In the name of more sustainable gift wrapping, you can punch a hole at the top of the plastic and thread a ribbon through.
GOOD INGREDIENTS PISTACHIO NUTS
Roasted Salted and Flavored Pistachios In Chili Lemon, Onion Garlic, Habanero, Hickory, “The Kenny”
Certified Kosher by The Organized Kashrus Laboratories
Prices Shown For Salted/Flavored
- 2-Ounce Ziploc Bag
$2.21/$2.35
- 4-Ounce Ziploc Bag
$3.65/$3.95
- 6-Ounce Eco-Friendly
Kraft Bag
$5.25/$5.65
- 8-Ounce Ziploc Bag
$6.82/$7.39
Purchase online* at GoodIngredients.com
*Prices and product availability are verified at publication but are subject to change. Shipping is additional. These items are offered by a third party and THE NIBBLE has no relationship with them. Purchase information is provided as a reader convenience. |
 |
|
