New in the oil aisle at Albert Heijn: pistachio oil
The days when the supermarket oil aisle consisted only of olive oil and sunflower oil are long gone. No, these days we can choose from many more kinds of oils, for both hot and cold use. Coconut oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, sesame oil: the choice is huge. And what did I see on the shelves at Albert Heijn? Pistachio oil. It’s new to the supermarket world!
Not new: the fact that pistachios are insanely delicious. That we would happily have everything pistachio-flavoured. The chocolate-covered pistachios from Lidl are practically a standard item in our bags, our freezer is full of pistachio ice cream, and we happily eat pistachio pesto with anything. So this pistachio oil can only be a huge success, right?
Lightly sweet and velvety
Let me get straight to the point: Albert Heijn’s pistachio oil really is a huge success. I ate it as a simple dressing over my salad and thought it genuinely added something. It’s nutty, with a subtle hint of pistachio, as you’d expect. I don’t find the oil bitter at all; rather, it’s lightly sweet and velvety. The pistachio oil also works perfectly as a dip for your bread. Or in your smoothie or baked goods, as recommended on the packaging.
The oil is suitable for ‘lightly warm and cold’ use, by the way. I take this to mean that it isn’t necessarily intended for frying or baking with—as is also said about extra virgin olive oil (spoiler: you can absolutely cook with extra virgin olive oil). But it isn’t listed as a warning on the packaging or the website either.
Liquid (green) gold
Interestingly, the pistachio oil scores a C on the Nutri-Score. I can’t quite figure out where that C comes from. Albert Heijn’s walnut oil scores a B and appears to contain a somewhat lower amount of saturated fat (9.2 grams compared with 13 grams in the pistachio oil). Could that be the reason? Maybe we shouldn’t pay too much attention to it: experts aren’t exactly fans of the Nutri-Score either. This pistachio oil is simply delicious, and sometimes (often) that’s reason enough to buy it. A few more plus points: the oil is vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free.
It is pricey, though, this little bottle of pistachio oil. You pay €3.69 for a 125-millilitre bottle. But in my view, that means you’re holding a bottle of liquid (green) gold in your hands.
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