You've been warned: the following post contains the repeated use of the word "nuts." If you're prone to fits of giggling or making "that's what she said" jokes, this might be difficult for you to read (or fun for that matter!).
My friend N. sent over some nuts for me to try; she works at local branding company Pulp + Wire who recently took on John's Nuts (oh Lord, here we go) as an account for a branding and packaging makeover. Now called The Gilded Nut Snack Co. and packaged in some sharp looking boxes, John's spice-coated pistachios come in four flavors: habanero heat, Mediterranean herb, salt and pepper, and original.
John and his Gilded Nut Co. are from the San Francisco Bay area, but he had the good sense to move to Portland, Maine. The pistachios are sourced in California, but the spice and olive oil tumbling bit takes place here in Portland.
Having never seen flavored pistachios in the first place, I was impressed with the idea - and the taste as well. Encouraged by package instructions to suck the shells for more flavor, I found the Mediterranean herb blend to be my favorite and the habanero heat to have a slow, building heat that was eventually too much for me, but boyfriend A. loved them.
The Gilded Nut Snack Co.'s pistachios can be found locally at gourmet snack and gift shops like LaRoux Kitchen, Black Tie Catering Co., and The Cheese Iron in Scarborough (see Store Locations for more details). Pick some up, see for yourself how they're an unexpected departure from regular pistachios.
Just for fun, a before and after shot of John's Nuts/The Gilded Nut Snack Co.'s packaging, courtesy of Pulp + Wire.
And insert your own nut joke here!