By Christina Herrick

Published January 30, 2025

Interest in pistachio as a flavor has grown, with consumer interest in pistachios showing compound annual growth of 8% according to data from Hanford, Calif.-based Nichols Farms.

Web searches for pistachios are up 60% since 2019, but this has not necessarily translated to growing consumption, said third-generation pistachio grower Jeff Nichols, vice president of supply chain and grower relations for Nichols Farms.

Nichols said domestic pistachio consumption has been relatively flat for the past four years. The industry ships about 250 million pounds a year, he said.

“The interesting thing is that in-shell has been declining over the past four years while kernels have been growing 28% on average over the last three years,” Nichols said. “Consumers are adopting more the kernels just because there are a lot more flavors and they’re just a lot more of a portable snack and very tasty.”

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