Pistachio cream

Pistachio cream by Oberhöller from the Sarntal Valley

Oberhöller's pistachio cream is a green spread from Sarnthein in South Tyrol, in which roasted pistachios are the primary ingredient. Sugar and milk take a back seat to the nut, ensuring the spread's color comes from the fruit alone.

The pistachio cream is a spread by Oberhöller from the South Tyrolean Sarntal valley, in a 400-gram jar, containing 45 percent roasted pistachios. It has a rich, fruity flavor with mild sweetness and glows in the muted green shade that ground pistachios naturally take on.

Richly nutty, mild, and vibrant green

The roasted nut leads, the milk softens it, and the sweetness remains far behind both.

The color is muted and matte, a green with an olive tint that is immediately noticeable when spread onto light-colored bread. On the tongue, a full roasted flavor follows, accompanied by a fine salinity that naturally resonates in pistachios.

Because so much fruit and so little sugar are combined, the spread tastes more like freshly ground kernels than confectionery. Sunflower oil keeps it spreadable without being intrusive, and the milk rounds off the roast. The texture is finely ground, yet retains a slight grain, as Oberhöller does not grind the nuts to complete smoothness.

Over ice cream and in cakes

The full essence of the nut is evident on a slice of brioche, and even more so when eaten straight from the spoon.

A dollop on vanilla ice cream goes a long way, as the roast stands up to the cold, and it remains visible as a green swirl in yogurt. In the bakery, it fills croissants and cakes, and when stirred into buttercream, it colors the entire cake. Served with an espresso, you don’t even need a piece of pastry on the side.

It also pairs well with savory items, for example on dark bread under mild cream cheese or as a dab next to pan-fried fish. Take it from the jar with a clean spoon and store it back in a cool place to keep the color fresh.

The pistachio, a stone fruit with a green kernel

Botanically, the pistachio is a stone fruit, related to the mango and cashew, and only its kernel is consumed.

The green color comes from chlorophyll, and the violet of the skin from anthocyanins—the same pigments found in elderberries and blueberries. Roasting darkens both slightly, which is why an honestly made cream looks matte and never neon.

The tree originates from Western Asia, requires hot summers, and typically only yields its full harvest every other year. This capriciousness makes the nuts some of the most expensive items on the nut shelf, and you can tell in every portion where they make up nearly half the content.

They are harvested in late summer when the shell pops open by itself to release the kernel—a sound that earned the pistachio its name as the "laughing fruit" in Persian. They are roasted only shortly before grinding, as the aroma would otherwise dissipate within weeks.

A spread that doesn't dilute the fruit

In Sarnthein, Oberhöller prepares the spreads in small batches; roasting, grinding, and bottling all take place in-house.

If you want to compare varieties, place the hazelnut chocolate cream next to it, and in the nut cream section, there is something for every taste anyway. The rest of the Oberhöller assortment ranges from spreads to chocolate bars.