Pistachos from Bronte and Almonds from Noto are protected by Slow Food because they are in danger of extinction. They grow a few miles apart in southeast Sicily and production is very limited. To give you an idea, in California, the production of pistachos is 4 million tons per year, and in Iran it is 3.5 million tons. In Bronte, only 30,000 tons – almost nonexistent. Why do the farmers keep growing these species of nuts and why do the best chefs all over the world only want Pistachos from Bronte and Almonds from Noto? The answer is they are completely different from the commercial varieties. Below, Concetto Scardace, the young and passionate farmer/representative of Almonds from Noto’s Slow Food Presidium shows his Almonds and tells us that the other “commercial” varieties of almonds are perhaps better looking but not as good. As Concetto says, they are “belle di faccia ma brutte di cuore”. Above left, is Concetto with Claudio Urciuoli, our friend and great chef from Phoenix, AZ. Claudio, also, is a big fan of the real thing. You should try them and taste the difference, too!