Although hazelnuts are quite well-known in our country, not everyone knows that they originate from Scotland. According to findings and research from 1995, hazelnuts were commonly grown in Scotland around 8,000 BC. This makes them one of the oldest nuts ever.
In addition, hazelnuts are one of the most popular nuts in the world. You can find them in various chocolates, cakes, desserts, chocolate creams, or even liqueurs.
Last but not least, hazelnuts are very healthy and have positive effects on our health.
What are hazelnuts ?
Hazelnuts are the fruit of hazelnut trees, which grow to a height of several meters. They are formed in a nut from which they fall spontaneously after ripening. The fallen hazelnuts are later collected by hand or mechanically and are thus processed and distributed all over the world.
The largest hazelnut producer is Turkey, which produces around 70% of the world's production. Turkey is followed by Italy, Azerbaijan, the USA, Chile and China.
Very popular ones include roasted hazelnuts or hazelnut butters and spreads.
What do hazelnuts contain?
Nutritional information per 100 g :
Energy 2,628 kJ / 628 kcal
Fats 61 g
of which saturated fatty acids 5 g
of which monounsaturated fatty acids 46 g
of which polyunsaturated fatty acids 8 g
Carbohydrates 17 g
of which sugars 4 g
Fiber 10 g
Protein 15 g
Salt 0 g
Hazelnuts, nutritional values and their health effects.
Hazelnuts contain a large amount of healthy fats that help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system . They also help lower cholesterol .
In addition, hazelnuts are a very good source of vitamins A, D, E, B6, calcium and iron. And thanks to their high magnesium content, they help reduce cramps , muscle fatigue and even reduce headaches .
Hazelnuts are commonly available in our country, which is why you should definitely add them to your daily diet.
How to eat hazelnuts?
If you're not quite sure what to do with hazelnuts, try throwing a few into your breakfast or just having a few pieces throughout the day.
In addition, they are suitable for baking and taste great with dark chocolate, for example. If such a combination interests you, you should definitely try our hazelnut chocolate muffins .
And what to add in conclusion?
As we mentioned at the beginning, hazelnuts are among the most popular nuts. What you may not know is that up to 25% of the world's production ends up in the factories of Ferrero, which uses them mainly to produce the popular chocolate spread Nutella.
But don't be fooled by this name. Even though Nutella is described as hazelnut spread, it contains "only" 13% hazelnuts. The rest is mainly sugar, palm oil and other ingredients. According to some studies, Nutella has even been described as very harmful to our health. And since it is especially popular with children, there is certainly no need to overdo it.
Last but not least, the origin of hazelnuts is also of great importance. According to an investigation conducted by the BBC, children are often used to harvest hazelnuts, especially in Turkish orchards.
Therefore, we recommend that you buy hazelnuts from verified sources. Ours come mainly from our verified grower Konstantinos from Greece. In addition to them, we have recently added very tasty hazelnuts from Georgia to our offer.
