Nutty

It is not an overstatement to say that for Middle Easterners, nuts are synonymous with hospitality, and they have been the backbone of our business since my great-great uncle Abrahim opened the first Sahadi’s store in 1895. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Middle Eastern home that doesn’t have a small bowl of meshakkal, a mixture of seeds and nuts, set out on a table as a sign of welcome. The blend might include peanuts coated in sesame seeds and several types of shelled nuts, such as almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts, but it would also definitely contain pistachios in the shell as well as some kind of seed, most likely from a pumpkin or squash, also in the shell. The ritual of cracking the shells and extracting the tender contents is considered a convivial pastime to share with friends and family.