Gelato al pistacchio

Gelato al pistacchio is the flavour by which Italians judge a gelateria, because it cannot be faked cheaply: a proper one is made from a paste of roasted pistachios ground to oil, worked into a milk base, and it comes out a muted olive-khaki colour rather than the bright green of the almond-and-colouring versions sold by the beach. The reference nut is the pistachio of Bronte, grown on the lava slopes of Etna in Sicily, harvested in alternate years and sold at several times the price of Iranian or Californian nuts, which is why the word "Bronte" on a gelateria sign is either a mark of seriousness or a lie. Sicily is also where pistachio gelato is most at home, eaten in a brioche col tuppo for breakfast in Catania and Palermo, but it is on the counter of every gelateria in Italy and is usually the best-selling flavour after chocolate and hazelnut.