Pistachio Ice Cream Should not Contain Almonds / Almond Extract!

[dagordon]

I have to vent. For the love of God, why does 99.97% of pistachio ice cream or gelato in the universe contain (and taste like) almonds, or almond extract???

I understand pistachios are expensive, and good pistachio paste isn't cheap either. But I'd rather not have pistachio gelato at all than be served something that tastes predominantly of almond and very little of pistachio.

This problem is actually messing up people's tastes. I know someone who loves Ciao Bella's "pistachio" gelato, which tastes mostly of almond, but when given il laboratorio del gelato's pistachio gelato (which tastes strongly of pistachio, and nothing of almond) deemed it bland.

Next time I'm served "pistachio" gelato at a resturant that tastes mostly of almond, I'm sending it back. I would like to start a crusade to encourage people to do this.

End of venting.

[rooftop1000]

Almond extract shouldn't exist IMHO

tracey

[tonylombaardi]

I've had pistachio gelato a few times and at the time I thought I was tasting pistachio but later realized it couldn't be because I made my own pistachio gelato with just pistachios and it tasted totally different. I wasn't that fond of what I made, but perhaps it wasn't the best kind of pistachios or the best recipe or execution. Is that brand you mention available at specialty stores? I'd like to try really good pistachio gelato sometime.

[Lior]

now this extends over into anything pistachio. Marzipan, for example. Pistachio marzipan also has half almonds. I made a homemade pistachio marzipan from only pistachios. It was very green and tasty but dried out too quickly. I will have to rething that recipe using inverted sugar or glucose maybe.

[baroness]

This almond flavor issue may have crept over from 'pistachio' ice cream; most commercial ones seem to include it, often to the overpowering of any pistachio notes.

[Shalmanese]

I'm convinced pistacho gelato is a failed concept. Either you need to use stupid expensive pistachos to get any sort of taste or you need to amp up the flavor with other nut extracts. Just each pistachos in their natural form and gelato other flavors instead.

[eternal]

Hrm. I'm not so sure it is a fantasy. We've made pistachio ice cream twice in the last month without using almond extract (because I didn't have it) and it came out very well. We bought a big bag of pistachios ($8 for a few pounds?) at Costco and use just over a cup of the seeds (washed first as they some salted, and then toasted) per batch. We ground up the seeds until they are fine but before they became butter. We did not remove the seed paste from the mixture after cooking. It tastes great, though different from the commercial versions I've had.

On another note, we paired homemade coconut ice cream with warm chocolate chip banana bread last night and it was an amazing combo.

Edited January 20, 2010 by eternal (log)

[gap]

I can't stand how the almond flavour is added to the pistachio. I've had fantastic pistachio gelato before at a few different places. I went and spent a lot of money of pistachio paste (the vendor insisted it was pure pistachio paste) only to find out when I tasted it that it had almond extract in it. Everyone thought I had made marzipan gelato.

[schneich]

au contraire shalamanese !!

to me pistacchio gelato is one KEY flavor in all gelato to get the flavour right you must use half toasted and half untoasted pistachios because the untoasted have a flavour that gets lost while toasting. i dont think any honorable italian artisan gelato producer will use something else than pistachios ;-)

[Shalmanese]

It's certainty traditional but, I think, underwhelming almost all of the time. The best gelato flavors are ones which are too intense in their natural state and require some softening and dilution with dairy & cold. Lemon, Chocolate, Mint, Strawberry, Coffee, Honey. Pistachio, on the other hand, is already such a soft flavor that it gets worse with dilution. I admit I'm prejudiced because I so rarely order pistachio gelato but I'd be very sceptical that I could taste a pistachio gelato that would change my mind.

[ejw50]

I'm in the minority here, but I dunno. Pierre Herme will use

almond extract in his Pistachio creations.

See here

http://fxcuisine.com/Default.asp?language=2&Display=85&resolution=high

This is supposedly his Pistachio Paste recipe, which contains some almonds

AND almond extract.

also, in "Patisserie of Pierre Herme", his pistachio mousseline cream

recipe uses 1/2 pure pistachio paste and 1/2 'flavored', which I assume

means 'containing almond extract'.

I also think his 'Macaron' says something similar.

[tan319]

PH does use a touch of a high end bitter almond extract to his pistachio.

It brings the pistachio out a bit more.

I do this with with strawberry bases ( using cherry syrup, Monin) or or or passion fruit ( apricot).

[rather be travelin']

No lie, Best Pistachio Gelato Ever. No funny almond business.

[schneich]

dudez, i had some really serious pistacchio gelato at sigep. the guy used pistacchios from bronte, half roasted, tha other half STEAMED ;-)