I recently found several deliciously-looking desert recipes that requires pistachio paste but haven't so far managed to find anyone who sells it.
I understand you can make it yourself and found many recipes for it on internet, but I'd prefer to use professionally-made stuff (Italian, preferably) firstly to learn what sort of flavour/texture the real one has.

Does anyone know if/where you can buy it in UK? (I live just outside London)

Isis32, I totally know what you're talking about. Perhaps you could try Italian specialty shops? I know there is one in Crouch Hill, but i'm sure there are more around London. Have you tried Carluccio's?

x,
celine

Thanks for the reply celine.

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear enough in explaining my situation.
I have already tried some of Italian delis in London but none of them had it. There're so my italian delis there, I don't think I'll be able to check every one of them. (And I know Carluccio definitely does not have it. The range of products they sell is very limited anyway.)
I have also tried to find online shop who might sell it in UK, but so far all I could find were in abroad (which means either they don't deal with overseas customers or P&P is much more expensive than the product itself.)

But since there seem to be gradually increasing number of recipes that requires pistachio paste lately, I was hoping maybe someone who visit this forum might have some specific information about it.

Thanks for trying, anyway.

::still hoping someone will come to my resucue::

I hope these previous discussion may help you Isis.

[link]

[link]

They are not where you can buy it, but how to make your own.

Thanks, Rosti.

It's oddly comforting and depressing at the same time that someone else was in quest of pistachio paste ages ago and still we cannot find a supplier in this country.

Yes, I had come across to those recipes on the links while I was desperately looking for any information about pistachio paste before I posted my question here (The second one with oil as ingredient is only good for savoury dish, as far as I know. Not suitable for sweet dish like ice cream, mouse, cake, biscuit, etc. because the oil content interfere too much with other ingredients).

The reason I would like to obtain professionally made paste is ---
1) To achieve the bright green colour the professionally made stuff has, you have to remove as much brown skin as possible and it takes a lot of time and energy and patience.
2) Even if you managed to remove most of brown skin, the colour of end product is no where near as bright and vivid green. Maybe it's to do with quality of pistachio you can buy in this country?

It is easily available in US, France, Italy and even in Japan! And most of them come in very handy 200 - 250g can. But, as far as I've researched, the suppliers there either do not deliver to overseas customer (mainly because of food regulation) or, if they do, delivery charge is MUCH MORE than the price of the paste itself.

Awwww, why is it so difficult to get it in this country??!!!
Where the hell all those UK-based chefs with yummy-looking pistachio-paste-based recipes get their stuff from??!!!!!

::end of ranting::

I have found this link for Pistachio paste. It is a UK based company that supplies by mail order. Hoping this helps.

[link]

Scroll down a little. They supply Hazlenut paste too. I quite like the idea of both.

mmmmmm. pistachio paste sounds delicious! would you be able to make it yourself by grinding up some pistachios?