If we told you pistachio cream, what color would it think? The green, of course, discounted answer … but what green?
The world of pistachio creams hides a palette of shades that tell quality stories, ingredients and traditions. Walking through the shelves of specialized stores or by visiting a gastronomic fair, you can observe how this product is presented in a surprising variety of shades: from brilliant green to beige, to the elegant golden nuances. These colors are not casual, but represent real indicators of the composition and naturalness of the product.
The starting base: the pure pistachio pasta
Each pistachio cream begins its journey from pure pistachio dough, obtained through a delicate process of roasting and fine grinding of the fine fruits. This procedure gives a creamy pasta with an intense and characteristic flavor, whose natural color is a green that tends to light brown. This original tone will then be modified according to the dilution and the preparation method chosen.
Brilliant green: attention to dyes
A cream that presents with a particularly brilliant green and bright should arouse some suspicions. This lively color can hardly be obtained using only natural pistachios; It almost certainly contains added food coloring to improve its aesthetic appearance and, often, to compensate for a real reduced quantity of pistachio. These products are generally labeled as “pistachio taste cream”, an important distinction compared to authentic “pistachio creams”.
Green tending to beige
Traditional pistachio creams have a more sober green that turns towards beige. This color derives from the combination of pure pasta with a white base, usually in a proportion of 20-30%. The result is a green never excessively brilliant, more soft and natural, which reflects a balanced recipe but with a moderate presence of pistachio.
Olive green
When the percentage of pure pistachio pasta increases up to 40-50%, the color of the cream takes on a green olive shade that tends to light brown. These creams are distinguished by a less sweet and more intense flavor, where the note of the toasted pistachio emerges with greater decision. The darker color testifies to a more concentrated and authentic preparation.
Golden green
Some premium creams, while maintaining a high percentage of pistachio (about 50%), have a surprising golden color. This particular nuance is the result of the addition of extra virgin olive oil at the base of pistachio, which transforms natural green into a warm amber tone. In addition to changing the color, this combination gives the cream a softer consistency and higher nutritional properties, making it suitable for those who are lactose intolerant. The golden color thus becomes the distinctive sign of a more valuable line, where gold literally symbolizes the excellent quality of the product.
The next time you find yourself in front of a pistachio cream, observe the color carefully: it could reveal much more than you imagine on its composition and quality, helping you choose the product that best suits your tastes and needs.
