Tasting
Provence pistachios: where to buy them, what they cost, how to check the origin
Provence pistachios do exist, but you won’t find them in the supermarket. Here is where to look, when, what to expect to pay, and how to make sure the ones you are sold really grew in France.
France harvested about ten tonnes of pistachios in 2026, and imports about ten thousand. In other words, you won’t come across French pistachios on a shop shelf by chance. You need to know where to look, and at what time of year.
Where can you buy French pistachios?
In three kinds of places.
- From the growers. This is the main route. There are more than 160 growers in 2026, mostly in the Vaucluse, the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Aude. Some sell at the farm or on their website. The association Pistache en Provence and the growers’ union France Pistache can point you to their members.
- In specialist shops. La Maison de la Pistache, for example, put a Provence pistachio “Grand Cru” on sale in its shops in autumn 2026.
- Through craftspeople. Part of the harvest goes straight to pastry chefs, confectioners, ice-cream makers and restaurants. That is in fact how it all began: the first sales, in 2023, were to them.
You won’t find any in French supermarkets. The volumes are too small, and the in-shell pistachios in supermarkets come mostly from California.
When can you buy French pistachios?
In the autumn. The pistachios are harvested in September, then hulled, dried and sorted: they go on sale in the weeks that follow. As most growers have only a few hundred kilos, stocks rarely last until spring.
How much do Provence pistachios cost?
| Product | Price | Per kilo |
|---|---|---|
| In-shell pistachios, plain (La Pistacheraie) | €14.50 per 250 g | €58 |
| Salted roasted pistachios, roasted with Camargue salt (La Pistacheraie) | €13.50 per 200 g | €67.50 |
| Shelled pistachios (La Pistacheraie) | €16.00 per 150 g | €107 |
| Pistachio cream, 100% pistachio (La Pistacheraie) | €19.50 per 180 g | €108 |
| Provence pistachio “Grand Cru” (La Maison de la Pistache) | €9.60 per 80 g | €120 |
| For comparison: imported, in shell, salted and roasted | French supermarkets | €21 to €24 |
The gap with imported pistachios is real: two to three times the price in the shell. It comes down to young orchards, their small size and the handwork. We go into the detail in the article why pistachios are expensive.
How can you check that a pistachio is really French?
This is the most important question on this page, because the word “Provence” on a label guarantees nothing.
There is no PDO or PGI. In October 2024 the industry launched a collective brand, “Pistaches de France”, and is aiming for a PGI (protected geographical indication) in the long run. But for now, “pistache de Provence” is not a protected name.
A product made in Provence is not a product made from Provence pistachios. A nougat, a cream or a spread can be made in Aix-en-Provence or Marseille with pistachios from California or Iran. On a processed product, the ingredients list tells the truth: either it gives the origin of the pistachios or it doesn’t.
Here is what a genuine grower can put on the bag:
- their name and village;
- the words “origine France”;
- the variety: Kerman, Aegina, Larnaka, Sirora, Pontikis;
- the harvest year;
- a batch number.
Two more clues complete the label. The price: a “Provence pistachio” at €25 a kilo is not one. The season: a French grower who still has stock in June is the exception.
In shell, roasted or shelled: which should you choose?
| Form | What it’s for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| In shell, plain | Tasting the pistachio as it is | Neither roasted nor salted. This is the form that keeps best. |
| Salted and roasted | Nibbling with drinks | More flavour, more crunch. Keeps less long. |
| Shelled | Cooking and baking | No shell to pay for or to crack. Keep somewhere cool. |
| As a cream or paste | On bread, in desserts, in ice cream | Check that it is 100% pistachio. |
To go further, see our articles on storing pistachios and on pistachio cream, paste and praline.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy French pistachios in supermarkets?
No, not so far. With about ten tonnes harvested in 2026 for the whole of France, the crop is sold direct and to craft producers.
Are Provence pistachios better than others?
They are fresher, since they are sold within weeks of harvest, with no sea crossing or long storage, and you know where they come from. Beyond that, it is a matter of taste: Kerman, one of the most widely planted varieties in Provence, is also the variety of the Californian orchards.
How much do French pistachios cost per kilo?
€50 to €60 a kilo in the shell when bought direct, and €100 to €120 shelled or as a premium product.
Can you buy fresh pistachios in France?
Very rarely. Fresh, undried pistachios keep badly. Only green kernels, harvested a month before full ripeness, are traded, and they are sold to pastry professionals only.
What if the grower has sold out?
Sign up to their waiting list for the next harvest. That is how it normally works with such small production: the year’s harvest is often spoken for before it is picked.
Sources
- Press release on the 2026 harvest, La Maison de la Pistache, August 2026, in French.
- 1re grande récolte de la pistache provençale, L’Écho du Mardi, 25 August 2026, in French.
- En Provence, le pari de la pistache, Vert, 22 September 2026, in French.
- Pistaches de France : une marque collective lancée sur le salon Med’Agri, Réussir Fruits & Légumes, 24 October 2024, in French.
- La pistache, une jeune filière pleine de promesses, Terre-net, 9 June 2025, in French.
- Peu d’eau, moins de pesticides : la pistache, le futur de l’agriculture ?, Reporterre, 14 August 2024, in French.
- Pistache de Provence, la nouvelle pépite des agriculteurs, Radio Camargue, October 2026, in French.
- La pistache française sur toutes les lèvres, mais pas encore en bouche, Pleinchamp, 26 April 2024, in French.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, EUR-Lex, French-language version.
