In general, pistachios are divided into two groups: elongated and round; which are known as Ahmad Aghaei, Kaleh Ghochi, Fandoghi, Akbari, etc. Some of them are cultivated extensively and commercially, while others are cultivated sporadically and in limited quantities. It should be noted that different pistachio varieties, in addition to differences in fruit shape, have trees with different needs, which makes even trees that have suitable fruit not commercial due to their specific and specific needs. The following are the different pistachio varieties that are cultivated extensively and commercially:
Fandoughi (Ohadi)
Ovadi pistachio is one of the most common commercial pistachio varieties in Iran, identified by Mehdi Ovadi in the village of Fathabad, Rafsanjan, between 1940 and 1955. It is a very famous and compatible variety for most pistachio growing areas, which has expanded greatly over the past 50 years. About 60–70% of pistachio cultivation in Rafsanjan is attributed to this variety. This variety has hazelnut-shaped and spherical fruits.
Fandoghi pistachio, which is considered a round pistachio variety.
Almond
Among the types of pistachios, we can mention the almond pistachio. The almond pistachio tree is larger than the hazelnut pistachio tree and this pistachio is elongated. The size of the almond pistachio is almost the same as the hazelnut pistachio, with the difference that the hazelnut pistachio is round and its skin is redder than the almond pistachio.
Ahmad Aghaei
Ahmad Aghaei pistachio was first identified and selected by a person named Ahmad Agha Foroutan in Ahmadiyeh-e-Noq. This variety has spread in Kerman province, mostly in the Noq regions of Rafsanjan and Sirjan city. Currently, this variety is one of the most important commercial varieties in the country, which, despite its not-so-long history, is expanding significantly. Its fruit is almond-shaped and is derived from the almond pistachio. The red color of the kernel, the whiteness of the bone skin, and the large size of the fruit have led to its spread.
Akbari
The most important type of pistachio is the Akbari pistachio, which is known as the super long pistachio in the world market due to its long, elongated, and large kernel. This pistachio is one of the most important pistachio varieties in the field of trade and is the only major producer of this type of pistachio in Iran and is mostly harvested in the cities of Rafsanjan and Anar. The founder of this type of pistachio was the late Akbar Tajabadi, after whom this pistachio is named Akbari pistachio. This variety is also known as Abdullahi and has almond-shaped, elongated, and large fruits.
Kalle GHoochi
This variety is one of the commercial varieties of Iranian pistachio, which was first identified by a person named Haj Ali Sharifi in the village of Dehno, Rafsanjan, and for this reason it is also known as Haj Sharifi pistachio. Its main cultivation areas are Kerman province and it is also found scattered in other provinces of the country.
Botany and nature of pistachio trees
Among the different species of pistachio trees, only the common pistachio tree has a pleasant, delicious and famous edible fruit. Unlike the Iranian almond and walnut trees, the pistachio tree is a dioecious tree. This means that the male and female flowers are on two separate trees, called the male tree and the female tree. The male tree does not bear fruit, and only the female tree bears fruit, and the pistachio crop is its fruit.
Iranians have long recognized the nature and adaptability of plants and have determined the areas suitable for planting each. The adaptations of domesticated pistachio trees to the climatic conditions of the old pistachio-growing regions of Iran and other regions of the world have been achieved over a long historical period and under human care. The pistachio tree has a strange nature and its life span is very long. However, the natural lifespan of this tree has not been determined with certainty.
The pistachio tree has a place in the world of plants and among domesticated trees like the camel has among animals because the pistachio tree also brings an unparalleled fruit by resisting harsh conditions such as drought, heat, burning and cold air, salinity of water, etc., a smiling fruit that is the result of its resistance. The current distinguished pistachio of Iran has also been transferred from its original cradle and bed in Khorasan to the slopes and plains in a historical continuity and has been domesticated after planting and care. After that, based on repeated human experiences, it reached the dry desert and semi-desert areas of Iran until it finally regained its appropriate place in its secondary (domesticated) nature with human suffering and experiences. Therefore, Iranian pistachio varieties are like gold and diamonds because they tolerate the hot and bright sun of summer and the burning and cold of winter in the semi-saline lands of the deserts, but they did not easily achieve these adaptations. The high quality and interesting variety of Iranian pistachios are the result of the bitterness and suffering of Iranian gardeners over many years.