Two pistachios
The California crop is the large, open-shelled nut sold roasted and salted. The Gaziantep pistachio is smaller, denser and deep green, harvested in the province that gives it its name and used in Turkish baklava and confectionery for its colour and its concentrated flavour. A spread made with it is greener and more aromatic at the same nut content. That is the reason a US specialty importer buys the jar at origin rather than filling it with domestic nuts.
What is in the jar
The line from the Gaziantep producer we work with has two pistachio contents, 30 and 15 per cent, each in 200 g and 300 g glass jars, 12 per case. Beside them: a 30 per cent pistachio spread with toasted kadayif in the style of the Dubai bar, a hazelnut-cocoa spread at 13 per cent hazelnut, a plain hazelnut spread and a two-tone cocoa-and-milk spread, all in the same jars and cases. The spread contains sugar, vegetable fat and milk components with the stated nut content; it is not a pure pistachio butter, and we do not call it one.
The US label
A US retail jar carries Nutrition Facts, ingredients in descending order, the allergens, tree nuts and milk here, the net weight in ounces and grams, and the responsible firm. The producer supplies the data; the importer approves the artwork. Private label on the jar is possible after the producer confirms, with the minimum in the offer. The technical data sheet with shelf life and allergens is issued with the quotation.
How the jar travels
Jars do not need a reefer; they ride in a standard container with dragées and Turkish delight, or share a temperature-controlled box with chocolate in summer. From Mersin the container reaches the East or West Coast according to your warehouse. The producer’s FDA registration data goes to your broker for the prior notice; the Importer Security Filing stays with the importer.
Who buys the jar in the US
Three buyers have shown up so far: Middle Eastern and Turkish grocers, who take the 300 g jar for the kitchen shelf; specialty and gourmet stores, which take the 200 g jar at 30 per cent as a gift item, often under their own label; and dessert shops and bakeries, which use the kadayif version as a filling. A distributor serving all three orders both sizes and both contents in one mixed container with chocolate, dragées and Turkish delight from other Gaziantep producers, each line on its own pallet with its own minimum.
Asking for a price
We are an export company, not the factory. Send the contents, jar sizes and quantities; the written offer comes within two working days in US dollars, FCA Gaziantep, FOB Mersin, CIF or DAP, with the producer named for each line and its tariff heading. Payment by bank transfer in two halves, the second against the loading photographs. Samples first, free from running production, courier at your cost.
Is the spread a pistachio butter?
No. It contains sugar, vegetable fat and milk components with a stated pistachio content of 30 or 15 per cent. Pure pistachio butter is not in our line and is sourced only on request.
Why not fill the jar with California pistachios?
Because the Gaziantep pistachio is a different, greener and more aromatic nut, and the spread is made where it grows. That is what the importer is buying.
What are the case and pallet data?
Twelve jars per case for every size and content; pallet data are on the offer with the producer’s data sheet.
