1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Favor production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum. And today we're 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: talking about pistachios, which I don't have a lot of 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: experience with this either. Uh well, this was a listener's suggestion, 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: wasn't yes, yes, okay if you have suggested it. Yeah, 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: And when you I think it's a it's been a 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 1: while since somebody suggested it. Because when you you put 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: it up there as like maybe we'll do this one. 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: I laughed out loud because it felt so out of 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: left field to be well, one of my best friends 11 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: loves pistachios, like if we go on trips together, that 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: is the snack. That and eminem peanuts, which yes, so good. Um, 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: which after doing the research for this makes sense because 14 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: her family is from iran Um and we'll get to 15 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: do that later. My co host ever on Sincy, Samantha, 16 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: she has what she calls a graveyard of pistachio shills 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: in a tub on her desk. She I told her 18 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: we were doing this episode, and she went out of 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: her way to explain the whole situation to me as 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: to why this exists, and she was like there are 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: still pistatios in there, you just have to search them. Yeah. Yeah, 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: And I really I vividly remember those Stephen Colbert commercials 23 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: for pistachios where he would like crack open his head 24 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: and then there's a pistatio. Dun know. I freaky missed 25 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: all of that. But okay, Stephen Colbert, that's cool. Uh yeah, 26 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: I I love a pistachio. I will say that they 27 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: are a fairly frequent snack for me there. You know, 28 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: they're like a little bit on the pricey side. I 29 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: feel like they're like my like special occasion snack. Yeah. 30 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: But uh but my my main association with them involves 31 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: a shout out to my friend to for Payne, who 32 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: wrote this beautiful screwball horror drama stage play that's about 33 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: like intra community l g B t Q bigotry and 34 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: how damaging it is when bigotry is well meaning microaggression 35 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. And it's just one of the most 36 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: romping lye upsetting things I've ever seen. And the connection 37 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: point here is that it has just like the most 38 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: romantic scene involving a pistachio farming conversation that could possibly 39 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: exist on stage. Your page. Um. Uh but um when 40 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: when live theaters get back to it? And uh and 41 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: and if one near you puts up this show, I 42 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: definitely think you should look into it. Um. The name 43 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 1: contains a cuss word that I would not normally say 44 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: on air, but it is you us in in the 45 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: manner of all of this discussion about these issues. It's 46 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 1: called angry fags. So yeah, highly recommend. It is definitely 47 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: not for not for little ones, but um, but it is. Oh, 48 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: it's so upsetting and so good. So anyway, I can't 49 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: think about the stasia good. I can imagine flipping over 50 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: like the playbook, roppingly upsetting. Yeah, Toford, that's that's for you. 51 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: Feel free love it definitely romance Little Pastagio Farmer was 52 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: not where I thought this episode was gonna go. But 53 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: every episode is a beautiful. It's like you're cracking open 54 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: a pastachio right right, which is actually why I don't 55 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: snack on them that much, because you know I would 56 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: never I don't associate myself with laziness. But if I 57 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: make this calculation that the effort is not worth the 58 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: final product, then and I struggle with pasta. I don't 59 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: know if I never figured out the method. I don't know. 60 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: There's a there's a real there's a real good trick 61 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: for using Once you get one open, you can use 62 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: it to kind of pry you can use half of 63 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 1: one of those to kind of pry open the rest. 64 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: There's a trick, all right. But but also you can 65 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: look at videos online. It also does help if you 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: have nails a little fingernails a little bit you do not. Yeah, 67 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: but I actually like that they're a little bit difficult 68 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: to open sometimes because I feel like it slows down 69 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: my smacking rate, because otherwise I'm the like grab an 70 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: entire handful of popcorn and try to fit it all 71 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: into my face at the same time kind of girl. 72 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: And I feel like I feel like that's an urge 73 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: that I should curb popcorn. Popcorn is a different category. 74 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: It is. It is like, this movie is tense. Let 75 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: me see how much popcorn I can show? Is uh? Anyway, 76 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: we're not talking about pop were today. We're talking about pistachios. 77 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: We are, so let's get to our question. Pistachios. What 78 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: are they? Well? The pistachio is yet another example of 79 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: a culinary nut that is not botanically considered a nut 80 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: that how many if I have a nut mix, how 81 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:35,599 Speaker 1: many of those are nuts? I feel like I have 82 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: my whole life, I've been lied to. I feel I 83 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: think it's very few, very very but it is. It 84 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 1: is instead the seed of a type of fruit called 85 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: a drupe. And we've talked about other culinary nuts in 86 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: this category, yes, a cashews and pecans um, as well 87 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: as other drupes like nutmeg and olives and peaches, and 88 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: in some cases like olives and peach, is a droope's 89 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: fruit is what you're interested in. In others, it is 90 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: the seed that's tasty um. And in the case of pistachio's, 91 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: you're you're dealing with um, a fruit that has this 92 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: this thin layer of greenish yellow to red fruit surrounding 93 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 1: a stiff shell, not quite papery, more like paper boardy, 94 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: you know, a little bit little bit stuff, a little 95 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: bit difficult inside that shell. The seed um as it 96 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: matures will grow larger and larger, filling the shell out 97 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: as the season continues, and when they're ready for harvest, 98 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 1: the seeds will loosen inside of those shells, and the 99 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: shells will split partially open um and apparently whole orchards 100 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: will split open over the course of a single night. 101 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: And this is where that romantic farming conversation comes in, 102 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: because the one character in the play is describing it 103 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: as this kind of sound and then all of a sudden, 104 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: you got all of these and it's really beautiful. Ah. 105 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: That does sound lovely, right ah. Anyway. Statue trees are smallish, 106 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: growing to about sixteen thirty two ft and are either 107 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: male or female, and the flowers don't produce nectar, so 108 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: they don't attract bees and other pollinators. Um. The pollen 109 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: has to spread by by wind or by hand, usually 110 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: by wind. These trees like long, hot, arid summers and 111 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: cool winters. They're often planted close together for better pollination 112 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: and use of resources. UM. So when the seeds mature 113 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: and those shells split, they usually stay right on the trees, 114 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: and farmers will lay down tarps and then physically shake 115 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: the trees to get the nuts to drop. The thin 116 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: fruit is then rubbed away and the seeds are often 117 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: um roasted and seasoned and sold right in those creamy 118 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: white shells. Um. This is one of the only nuts 119 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: that you can season in shell, which is why d 120 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: shelled statues are so expensive. These seeds themselves are covered 121 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: in this. A thin red to brown skin would maybe 122 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: peeled off to reveal the lime green nut underneath, very 123 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: striking color. The trees are a member of the Cardiacia family, 124 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: which means that they are related to mangoes, cashews, pink peppercorns, 125 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: and poison ivy and oak and poison sumac yep, oh, 126 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: poison ivy. I got some bad memories of poison ivy. Oh. 127 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: I am lucky to have never had a poison ivy episode, 128 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: but I get that calumine lotion. Oh no, I've had 129 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: embarrassing all kinds of bug stings, though, so I feel 130 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: like I'm karmically balanced. You think I don't know. I 131 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: will never forget one time I made a deal with 132 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: a lop. We had a deal and he stung me right, 133 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: Oh no, he flew at me. We had a deal. Wasp. 134 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: That's gonna let you live these untrustworthy wasps. I'm telling you, 135 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: I was like nine years old and that happened, and 136 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: I have not forgotten. M hmm. I mean it's it 137 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: is well known that the wasps are jerks. Uh yeah, 138 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: come on, we weren't even close to me. That's what 139 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: blows my mind. I don't want to get to this beef. 140 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: I have to wasp. But he was far away. He 141 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: had to come at me, you know, you know, I 142 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: still I still remember that the the bee walk that 143 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: they taught us when we were doing that video episode, 144 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: and we listened a bunch of bee hives for because 145 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: we were talking about honey and uh, and they were like, yeah, 146 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: sometimes bees are just attracted to the color of your 147 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: shirty or shampoo or something like or the center of 148 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: your shampoo. So so just kind of, you know, walking 149 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 1: wobbly circles and eventually they'll get bored. It was quite fun, 150 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: and I think about that every time I see a 151 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: b I'm like, do I need to initiate wobbly circles? 152 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: Initiate wobbly circles? And everyone around you was like, oh, dear, 153 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: at any rate. Pistachios um. Not all species of pistachio 154 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: trees produce edible nuts or reliably produce edible nuts um, 155 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: but some, like the Pistasia chinensis, are planted as ornamentals 156 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: due to the beautiful foliage that they get in the fall. 157 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: They'll go all red and orange before dropping their leaves 158 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: for the winter. Wow, what about the nutrition. Pistachios are 159 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 1: pretty good for you. They've got a lot of protein 160 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: um even compared with other nuts, plus fiber, a good 161 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: spread of unsaturated fats, lots of vitamins and minerals, a 162 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: little bit of carbs too, so they will both fill 163 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: you up and help keep you going. As with all nuts, 164 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: they are colorically dense, so watch your portion sizes um. 165 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: But in general, research has indicated that replacing like more 166 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: processed foods um with a controlled amount of pistachios can 167 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: help reduce risk of stuff like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, 168 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: maybe even cancers and brain diseases. So I would say 169 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: that overall, incorporating them into your diet by replacing less 170 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: healthy foods um is a great a great plan. Are 171 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: a great snack. I'm not unsure unclear whether this was 172 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: my data has been mined by Google. Are just a 173 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: weird circumstance, But today I received an email. We get 174 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: a lot of like cold marketing emails for our job, 175 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: and I got one about the health of the pistachio 176 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: and it was like just fifty bullet points. It was 177 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: a lot. I did not bet them for but yeah, yeah, 178 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,720 Speaker 1: I'm also you know, I'm not I'm trying not to 179 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: linger on this topic too much, but I'm getting angry 180 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: and angry about this wasp thing because I remember I 181 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:20,319 Speaker 1: had I had a wasp nest in my room and 182 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: I would wake up in the morning I have like 183 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 1: thirty wasp in my room, and my dad would come 184 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:25,839 Speaker 1: in and we didn't kill them. We would get to 185 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: little tweezers and let them out, and we were we 186 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: were trying to be kind to the wasp. Why all right, 187 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: we do have some pastachio numbers for you. We we do. 188 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: We totally separate from unappreciative jerky wasp. Sorry, I'm grateful, No, no, 189 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: I appreciate that the twenty plus years later, this this 190 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: wasp is you know, you know you just don't you 191 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 1: just you just you just you hope for better. You 192 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: hope for better from people and insects. Yeah, so numbers wise, 193 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: numbers numbers on pistachios. Yeah yeah, Um, the United States 194 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: in Iran are the world's largest producers of pistachios. Um. Yeah. 195 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: They kind of go back and forth over who holds 196 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: that the American pistachio industry produced over nine hundred million 197 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 1: pounds of pistachios in California is by far America's largest producer. Yeah, 198 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: oh yeah. Um. Production in the United States increased um 199 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: from nineteen seventy seven with four million pounds too. Yes, 200 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: over nine hundred and eighty million mm hmmm. The United 201 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: States Agricultural Research Service in Davis, California, has a living 202 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: botanical library, or at least it as of two thousand five, 203 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 1: with over seven d and fifty pistachio trees from ten 204 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: different species and hybrids. I know, right, I want to go. 205 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 1: I want to visit right now. Um. It takes trees 206 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: about a decade to mature, a decade or two to mature, 207 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: but after that they can produce as much as fifty 208 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: pounds of a holed nuts per year that's about twenty 209 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: three kilos. And researchers with the University of California have 210 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: called the pistachio the single most successful plant introduction to 211 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: the United States in the twenty century, which is amazing, right, yeah, 212 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: and it happened, I mean relatively recently, all of this 213 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: in the United States. It did. Yeah, yeah, And we 214 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: are going to get into the long history before that. 215 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: Plus the recent history of this. As soon as we 216 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: get back from a quick break forward from our sponsor 217 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you sponsored, Yes, thank you, And 218 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: I have more thoughts about wasp. Uh, this is the 219 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: wasp show. Now it's called wasp stuffs. Just be complaining 220 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: about about this one wasp, not even all wasps that punk. 221 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: No no, no, no, all right. Um So pistachios. Historians 222 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: have gone back and forth about the origins of the 223 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: pistachio tree. Nowadays, they think that pastachios have been growing 224 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: in the Middle East and or Central Asia for thousands 225 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: of years at least. Archaeological digs in northern Iran and 226 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: Uzbekistan revealed pistachio shells and settlements dating back to Remains 227 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: of pistachios in Afghanistan and Iran are even older, going 228 00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: back to six thousand BC m The Old Testament mentions 229 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: pistachios and positively nonetheless it's like a as like a 230 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: rare gift. Yeah, Sashia's have a long history and what 231 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: was Persia modern day Iran. The story goes that the 232 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: Queen of Sheba was a big fan of them, declaring 233 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: that all pistacio has grown on lands she controlled belonged 234 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: to her and those on her court. True or not, 235 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: people have been eating them and using them for medicinal 236 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: purposes for thousands of years. Some records even indicate that 237 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: they were Sometimes you'd as aa, I read that couples 238 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 1: in Persia would perhaps sit under pistacio trees and if 239 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: they heard a nutcracking, yeah, that meant good fortune was 240 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: in store for their relationship. And now I'm like, is 241 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: this where tofur got that from? Heck? Follow up question right, 242 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: Alexander the Great rock Stacio's back with him to Greece 243 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: and three hundred BC Greek philosopher THEW. Frost Is described 244 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: pistachio Sometime around around that same time, he wrote up 245 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: the Pistachio Tree that it quote bears nuts only as 246 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: big as almonds, and they closely resemble almonds in appearance, 247 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: except that the shell is not rough, and in savory 248 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: and sweetness they are superior to almonds. Therefore, yeah, the 249 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: people of the country use them in preference to almonds. 250 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: And this comparison to almonds seems to have been a 251 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: common occurrence in Europe. A second century BC Greek poem 252 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: about plants that provide protection from scorpion stings, which I love. 253 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: But this is a poem I know, I got some 254 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: stories about scorpions too. Pistachios are compared to almonds in 255 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: this poem, and that was also the first instance of 256 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: the word pistachio being used in the Greek language. In 257 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: the first century CE, physician Dioscarieties wrote about the medicinal 258 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: benefits of pistachio goes. Under the reign of Roman Emperor Tiberius, 259 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: pistacios made their way to Spain and Italy. By the 260 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,840 Speaker 1: first century C, pistachios were in northern Africa and China. 261 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: China started cultivating them in tenth century CE. Several written 262 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: records out of Europe praised the taste of pistachios, and 263 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 1: they all seemed to indicate that they were primarily grown 264 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,360 Speaker 1: in Syria at this time, or at least that's where 265 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 1: the Europeans thought they were coming from. There are no 266 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: records that the tree itself, at least in the commercial sense, 267 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: existed in Greece until the nineteenth century, for instance, so 268 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: a lot later, during the Middle Ages, with the spread 269 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: of Islam and Arab traders, cultivation of pistachios grew, as 270 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: did the market for them. Central Europeans called them the 271 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 1: Latin penny nuts since they arrived through Italy. Uh huh. 272 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: At the time, pistachios could be quite pricey, and we're 273 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: often used as a baking ingredient, like to really fancify 274 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: your parents. Yeah. The first recorded pistachio orchard in Greece 275 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: was established in eighteen sixty in Athens. Pistachios were a 276 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: popular imported snack in America in the eighteen eighties. Middle 277 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: Eastern immigrants in particular were big consumers of them. People 278 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: could find them in vending machines at bars or restaurants 279 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 1: and other spaces like that. Apparently, a common slogan for 280 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: them at the time was a dozen vernicle cool. The 281 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: first pistachio tree was planted in America by the USDA 282 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen o four, and farmers did grow pistachios in 283 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 1: the United States and California in particular. American botanists and 284 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 1: so called plant explorer William E. White House went to 285 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: Iran to gather twenty pounds of individually chosen pistachios about 286 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: ten kilograms in nineteen thirty. He brought them back to California, 287 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:53,959 Speaker 1: where he planted them, and yes, it took a decade 288 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: for white House to see results, and unfortunately for him, 289 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: only one of the nutes he'd chosen was successful. And 290 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: he did didn't know what type of tree did come from. 291 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: He had picked it up from a pile of drying 292 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,959 Speaker 1: pistachios and the orchards of a well known pistachio growing 293 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,919 Speaker 1: family in Iran, so white House gave the tree the 294 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: same name as city near where he found the nut, Kerman. 295 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 1: Through experimentation and propagating with tougher root varieties, the American 296 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: pistachio industry was born. The popular violine of all this 297 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 1: is that the American pistachio industry traces back to one 298 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: Iranian seed. In nineteen seventy seven, white House received the 299 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:38,360 Speaker 1: very first Pistachio Association's annual achievement by it to industry Awards. 300 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: I Love It. Pistachio plots spread through California in the 301 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties, and soon after pistachios were being grown in 302 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: Arizona and New Mexico. By nineteen seventy six, the American 303 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: pistachio industry was producing one point five million pounds of postachios. 304 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: Same time, Americans were snacking on twenty million in pistachio 305 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 1: is imported from Iran, often died red to cover up 306 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: any flaws, or perhaps the practice of dyeing the red 307 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 1: started as a way to stand out fingers and mouths 308 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: dyed red or a sign of a pistachio snacker. I've 309 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: also heard as an alternative origin story for this that 310 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,920 Speaker 1: um that traditionally producers in Iran would brine whole pistachios 311 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 1: with the fruit still attached, and since it's a reddish fruit, 312 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: that would partially dye the shell this pinkish red color UM. 313 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: And so therefore some either um importers into America or 314 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 1: American producers trying to do like a copycat product, would 315 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: die their product red to reproduce that color. But mystery's history. 316 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,920 Speaker 1: Mystery's history. I've never heard of this, but I will 317 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,439 Speaker 1: tell you the Internet informs me that some people are 318 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:57,479 Speaker 1: very nostalgic, very nostalgic. Yeah, yeah, this was this was 319 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,640 Speaker 1: slightly before my time. I think I remember seeing red 320 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: pistachios and stores, but like when I was very young, 321 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: too young to be like I'm going to get that 322 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: pistachio right, So yeah, I feel like I've seen it 323 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: in terms of like when the Christmas holiday comes around 324 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 1: and it's red and green everything I've seen, but I 325 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: just assumed it was Christmas ms. However, all of this 326 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,479 Speaker 1: um importing of Iranian stachios came to a halt with 327 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: the Iranian hostage crisis in nineteen seventy nine, and the 328 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 1: US is subsequent full trade embargo on goods from Iran. 329 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: American producers stepped in to meet demand, really jump starting 330 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,880 Speaker 1: the industry in the United States. That year, the New 331 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: York Times published this quote, this California pistachios brought to 332 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: you courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service and the shaw 333 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: of Iran. Yeah, once the US reopened trade with her 334 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: on in, American pistachio producers successfully petitioned the United States 335 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 1: International Trade Commission to impose a two D and FOURT 336 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:12,880 Speaker 1: special import duty on unshelled Iranian pistachios. Might it's high. 337 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,400 Speaker 1: In two eight the U s sur past Iran as 338 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,360 Speaker 1: the largest producer. Though Yeah, like I said, they kind 339 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: of bounced back and forth since then. Oh and then 340 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: this growing popularity of pastacio's made way for pistachio ice 341 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: cream in the US, which is my brother's favorite flavor, 342 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: and I read a couple of articles. I don't really 343 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: get like any official numbers, but said that a lot 344 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: of people are introduced to pistacio's this way in the 345 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 1: United States through pistacio ice cream. I think that that 346 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: was I'm pretty sure that was my introduction to it. Yeah, 347 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: makes sense, delicious. Yeah. Stepping back a bit, Australia's commercial 348 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:55,679 Speaker 1: pistachio industry kicked off in the nineteen eighties. In MPR 349 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: reported on a story around how a large number of 350 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: California pistachio trees work shooting blanks, which means producing empty shells. 351 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: In some orchards, up to of the crop were blanks. Generally, Yeah, 352 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,639 Speaker 1: generally pistacio ger anticipates about ten percent planks. So that 353 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:18,440 Speaker 1: was a huge joke. Drought, heat and unusual weather are 354 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 1: believed to be the most likely culprits. And now food 355 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:28,119 Speaker 1: ice Yes, you really never know. I love it every 356 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 1: time with the past, but yeah, um, the world's the 357 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: most prized variety of pistachio, the green pistachio from Bronte, Italy, 358 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 1: are so sought after that during pistachio season in Sicily, 359 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: the pistachio orchards are protected from thieves by police with 360 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:50,639 Speaker 1: a police helicopter on hand, twelve per orchard. Of some 361 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: cases police pistachio popters. This is great. I mean, I 362 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: mean thrilling. I can't really play a moral qualification on that, 363 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: but thrilling. Definitely thrilling in terms of pistachios. According to 364 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: the BBC, one kg or two point two pounds of 365 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,439 Speaker 1: these unshelled pistachios could run you about fifteen point fifty 366 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: euros or seventeen dollars and forty cents, twice what the 367 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 1: pistachios from the US are ron cost, earning them the 368 00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: nickname Cecily's Green Gold. They account for only one percent 369 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: of global production and of that is exported um and 370 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: they are a controlled designation of origin products. In two 371 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 1: thousand nine, thieves made off with about four thousand, six 372 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: hundred euros worth of product in today's money, resulting in Yes, 373 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: this police presence around the crop in harvest years, which 374 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: is every other year, I believe. Yeah, it tends to 375 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: be um like like some other fruiting trees, pistachios um 376 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: will have one really bumper year and then one kind 377 00:25:55,600 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: of rest here m all year. Turkey also takes their 378 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: pistachios very seriously. It's a key in the classic Turkish 379 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: dessert black Clova. Due to civil and rest in climate, 380 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: the pistachio market for Turkish grown pistachios can fluctuate wildly, 381 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: but generally the yield is relatively small and the price 382 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: is high. This has led to pistachio thieves and even 383 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: a so called pistachio mafia and a pistachio black market. 384 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 1: Adult male growers keep a loaded shotguns nearby, and farmers 385 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: and thieves have been killed in this. Yeah. Yeah, um 386 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: and uh sort of going back to the NPR story 387 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 1: that you mentioned. Um, as with much of the produce 388 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 1: that we discuss, Yes, pistachios are having a harder time 389 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: because of climate change. Um. Many many trees, not just 390 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: pistatio trees, but many trees in general, and other plants 391 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: in general need cool winters to trigger storage of nutrients 392 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: and then change from cooler temperatures to warmer temperatures in 393 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: the spring to trigger blooming. Um. And when you don't 394 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: get that, you don't get as many flowers. And and 395 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: with some plants like statios, you might get male and 396 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: female trees blooming at different times, which is trouble. Researchers 397 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: at CSU are working on ways to help farmers like 398 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: wake their trees up in the spring artificially, and there 399 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: are other efforts to breed new varietals of trees that 400 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:35,920 Speaker 1: can fruit without those cool winters. Um, you know, research 401 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 1: is ongoing, but you know, fingers fingers crossed. Yeah, do 402 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: what you can to help prevent climate change and preserve pistachios. 403 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: Preserved pistachios. That's a fun word to say to UM. Yeah, yeah, 404 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 1: once again every time I'm like, sure, we're not going 405 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: to be talking about police helicopters, but I guess so. 406 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: Of course, yeah, of course, of course that's yep. Crime 407 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: lives everywhere, even even in pistachio orchards, even in pistachio orchards. 408 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 1: Well that's what we have to say about Pistachio's phone. 409 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: Now it is UM and we do have some listener 410 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 1: mail for you, but first we've got one more quick 411 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: break for a word from our sponsor. And we're back. 412 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsoring, Yes, thank you, we're back with listener 413 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: that it was a fun one that was exciting for me. 414 00:28:55,280 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: Did you startle yourself. Annie, Oh, I am very easily 415 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: startled everyone. This is true, This is true. I detect 416 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: no lie. Um. Yeah, I recently dogs that for a 417 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: friend of mine, and I mean every two minutes. Startled 418 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: all right, Devon wrote, I loved the most recent Listener 419 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: Mail episode, and when one listener suggested Cincinnati style chili 420 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: as an episode, my mind instantly started thinking of some 421 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: regional dishes that are popular in my home of upstate 422 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: New York. First, I don't think there's enough for a 423 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: whole episode about salt potatoes, but I have some fun 424 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: stories about these. They are small, round, white potatoes that 425 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: are boiled in salt water and eaten covered and melted 426 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: butter um. They're perfect for summer barbecues. As the story goes, 427 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: back in the day in Syracuse, New York, a lot 428 00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: of Irish immigrants worked in the salt mines and would 429 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 1: bring potatoes for lunch. It came time to eat, they 430 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: throw their potatoes in boiling water, but since they were 431 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: surrounded by salt, it created saltwater and thus salt potatoes. 432 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: One last fun story about these. When I was in 433 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: high school, I worked at a grocery store. Apparently an 434 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: out of State New Hire and the produced Department thought 435 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: he uncovered a secret drug smuggling operation inside bags of potatoes, 436 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: but it turns out that it was just bags of 437 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: salt for salt potato. Secondly, this is a regional dish 438 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,479 Speaker 1: that I hate, and somehow it has followed me from 439 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: upstate New York. This is specific to Utica to Delaware, 440 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: where I currently live. Tomato pie. It looks like a 441 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: rectangular pizza with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and it 442 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: is served cold room temperature. The first time I ever 443 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: had it, I mentioned to my fiance that I wasn't 444 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: a fan and I'd probably like it better fresh and warm, 445 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: so the dough isn't saggy, and he told me it 446 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 1: was meant to be that way anyway. I would love 447 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 1: to get to the bottom of how this abomination came 448 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: to be and how it's sohow regional to two different areas. Lastly, 449 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: my favorite garbage plate. These are most popular in Rochester, 450 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: so whenever we go there to visit friends, we always 451 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: get one. I'm not from Rochester, so my definition may 452 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 1: be off, but to make them, you start with some 453 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: sort of potato hash browns tater tots or French fries 454 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: and some sort of pasta macaroni and cheese or pasta 455 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: saled and topped them both with mustard onions, a meat 456 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: chicken nuggets, hot dogs or hamburger patties, American cheese, and 457 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: top the whole thing with a meat based hot sauce. 458 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: They're really customizable, so that makes it a little difficult 459 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: to nail down one definition, but the hot sauce is 460 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 1: the key factor. They're absolutely a once a year type 461 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: of a meal, but they are amazing. At one point 462 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 1: the Rochester Airport had and it might still be there, 463 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: a garbage plate restaurant and we got those to bring 464 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: on very fine. It was not a good idea. Thank 465 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: you both so much. With God, I love listening to 466 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: it and I've even got my fiance to love it 467 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 1: as well. Side note, I was also able to get 468 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:02,719 Speaker 1: him to enjoy Sminty by way of Addy and her 469 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 1: love for the Last of Us. He loves it so 470 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: much too, and he even likes Abby. Yes, it's hilarious 471 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: that you say that, because I know joke. Got a 472 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: message from my boss and he was asking me if 473 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 1: I could talk about this new segment we're doing which 474 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 1: is fictional women around the world for stuff I've never 475 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: told you, and I said, yes, but right now it's 476 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: currently only an excuse for me to talk about the 477 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: Last of Us because there's only been two of them, 478 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: and it's on two people from the Last of Us. 479 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 1: And he was like, are you sure you're not driving 480 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: people away? And then you sent this email Devon and 481 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: I sent it to him. I was like, have one 482 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: anecdotal So thank you for letting me have those moments. No, 483 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: that's wonderful, and all those foods sound wonderful. They would. 484 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 1: I love this regional stuff. I truly, truly do. Oh 485 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: oh absolutely where you know, you travel like like fifty 486 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: miles away and you're like where all the garbage plates 487 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: and everyone there is like the heck is a garbage plate? 488 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, I am confused and delighted anytime that both 489 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 1: potatoes and pasta are involved in the same dish um 490 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 1: And I want to try this immediately. Oh yeah, we're 491 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: definitely gonna have to make that happen. I do think 492 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: it is a once a year type meal, but I wanted, 493 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: yeah that once a year could be like very soon, Yes, 494 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: I hope, so e J wrote thank you on that 495 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: oil timed tamarind episode. In the Philippines, we used tamarind 496 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: as a souring agent for soups called scenic gang. Traditionally, 497 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 1: the tamarind fruit and pods are boiled, then mashed to 498 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: extract the tamarind flavor. Then a soup is made with 499 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: meat pork beef for fish, leafy vegetables like water, spinach, tomatoes, 500 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 1: garlic and green chilies, root vegetables, taro and dikeon, whatever 501 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 1: other vegetables you have. Okra and eggplants are quite popular too. 502 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,919 Speaker 1: Other souring agents can be used, such as guava, which 503 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: is preferred for the fish version of the dish, and 504 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: other sour fruits. The most interesting use of tamarind and 505 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: our family is the chicken version of the scene gang 506 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: called the Old Goodness I'm so sorry my tagalic is 507 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 1: really terrible. Sea polukang Manoch, or apparently literally, U tamarind 508 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:34,120 Speaker 1: did chicken. This version includes tamarind leaves and ginger to 509 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:37,720 Speaker 1: the usual garlic, onion and tomato. However, my family frozen 510 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:42,240 Speaker 1: tamarind flowers which we would pick off the neighbors tamarind tree. Hey, 511 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: those branches extend over a tiny creek and well onto 512 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: our property, which is incidentally how we sometimes get mangoes 513 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: as well. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it, 514 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:55,280 Speaker 1: and it might be years before I can go home again. Anyway, 515 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: I'm currently listening to your Pokemon episode and I just 516 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,240 Speaker 1: had to stop listening and write this email asap. Brock 517 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: stew is likely the Japanese cream stew quite common to 518 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: be made with store bought rou and just thrown in 519 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: vegetables and meat. Oh and by the way, do not 520 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 1: go to the Pokemon cafe for food. At least the 521 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,239 Speaker 1: food is not very good at all. I went with 522 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: my partner for Valentine's I thought it would be a 523 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:22,879 Speaker 1: cute thing to do. I didn't expect it to be great, um, 524 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:24,799 Speaker 1: But what I didn't expect was for the main dish, 525 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: the Pikachu Ami rice, to be grossly less than satisfactory. 526 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:32,920 Speaker 1: Oh no, you're probably familiar with amu rice um, the 527 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: rice dish wrapped inside an omelet. Like the cream stew. 528 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: It's another prime example of Yoshoku, Western influenced cuisine and 529 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: Japanese comfort food. The ketchup rice version is especially popular 530 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: with children. Now I've had so so onner rice before, 531 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 1: but the Pikachu one was definitely kids sized. In hindsight, 532 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:54,480 Speaker 1: I should have known. I'm a largish guy with a 533 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 1: hefty appetite. This might look like a lot, but it's not. 534 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,880 Speaker 1: Those Pikachu ears on the plate extading outwards give you 535 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:04,240 Speaker 1: the illusion of size, but remember that's not usable space. 536 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,840 Speaker 1: It has a lot of other things, but they're tiny, 537 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 1: like a baby's fist, and they're essentially microwave bento items 538 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: that one would find in the frozen food section. And 539 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 1: that egg, the egg was so thin and dry. It 540 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: was like um aburaga fried tofu for um a nati sushi. 541 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 1: I think I'm saying those words right, he continues. Aburage 542 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: is great, mind you. I just don't like my eggs 543 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 1: that way. If you really want on a rice. The 544 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: viral video Amo Rice Restaurant in Kyoto, Kichi Kichi is 545 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,799 Speaker 1: actually pretty good. Expensive, but it's like a dinner in 546 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: a show. Reservations must be done a month or two 547 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 1: in advance. Though, speaking of dinner in a show, Pikachu 548 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 1: showing up to do a little jig and pose for 549 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 1: pictures won me over. I mean, how can you resist that? 550 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:52,480 Speaker 1: So if you must go to the Pokemon Cafe. Avoid 551 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:55,280 Speaker 1: the Pikachi plate. I found the snore Lax Food coma 552 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,399 Speaker 1: slash nap lunch plate as I like to call it, 553 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: to be a better deal. Or stick to the desserts 554 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:04,360 Speaker 1: and parfaits. Those were good. You will need a reservation, 555 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 1: which you can do in English at the website, but 556 00:37:06,160 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: pre pandemic you had to reserve a month in advance 557 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: for the Tokyo branch. The Asuca branch seemed to be 558 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:13,960 Speaker 1: less crowded, as I was able to make a reservation 559 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,360 Speaker 1: a couple of days prior, and I even saw some 560 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 1: open slots during the off hours. The better video game 561 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: related downe in experience is the Canopio, which is Toad's 562 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,439 Speaker 1: Japanese name, likely a portmanteau of the word canoco, which 563 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 1: means mushroom, and possibly pinocchio. Um. Yes, the Canopio Cafe 564 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: in Supernintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. Because 565 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:40,799 Speaker 1: it was my birthday weekend, we tried a lot of 566 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 1: the dishes available and they even got me the Princess 567 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 1: Peach Cake, which was a sponge cake with fruits. It 568 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 1: was great, but I do slightly prefer the un birthday 569 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 1: cake at Tokyo Disneyland. I love this. Wow, that is 570 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:01,600 Speaker 1: a treasure trove of information. Thank you, I know, I know, 571 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,760 Speaker 1: and probable mispronunciations. I'm so sorry. My Japanese is rusty. 572 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: My tagolic has always been awful. So I'm like, oh no, 573 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: I'm often a charitable co host, and I'm like, this 574 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 1: is the one I'll get for Laurence. It's okay, I 575 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 1: do that to you with French words. I'm just like, 576 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:23,879 Speaker 1: Andy can take this section right crazy. I love how 577 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: many of so much letters about the Poke Everyone episode. 578 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: A lot of you wrote in a brout brox do 579 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:32,360 Speaker 1: esthma or m I hope by'm pronouncing your name correctly. 580 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 1: I've heard about it. I love this love yes, yeah, yeah, 581 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:39,919 Speaker 1: if if y'all, if y'all couldn't tell, we had way 582 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:42,800 Speaker 1: too much fun doing that episode, so we are glad 583 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 1: that y'all had a fun time listening to it as well. Yes, 584 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:52,120 Speaker 1: it's very very fun, very strange, but fun. Real weird, 585 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:59,240 Speaker 1: real weird. I don't think i've recovered. Um well, thanks 586 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: to those listeners for writing. If you would like to 587 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: write to us that you can. Our email is Hello 588 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: at savor Pod dot com. We're also on social media. 589 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:10,879 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at 590 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 1: savor pod and we do hope to hear from you. 591 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:16,360 Speaker 1: Savor is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts 592 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:18,600 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, you can visit the I Heart Radio app, 593 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 594 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,359 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagin and 595 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,439 Speaker 1: Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we hope 596 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: that lots more good things are coming your way.