Hazelnut

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Hazelnuts are the seeds of the hazel tree, sometimes called cobnuts or filberts. They’re enjoyed as a snack, used in baking and cereals, and blended into pastes and spreads such as pralines, chocolate truffles, and Nutella. Hazelnut oil is also used for cooking and in dressings.

Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Energy: about 628 kcal (2,630 kJ)
- Fat: around 60.8 g (mostly healthy monounsaturated fat)
- Carbohydrates: about 16.7 g (sugars ~4.3 g)
- Protein: about 15 g
- Fiber: about 9.7 g
- Key vitamins: vitamin E is very high (about 15 mg), B vitamins including thiamine (0.64 mg), niacin (1.8 mg), vitamin B6 (0.56 mg), and folate (113 µg)
- Minerals: manganese (about 6.18 mg, very high), magnesium (163 mg), phosphorus (290 mg), potassium (680 mg), calcium (114 mg), iron (4.7 mg), zinc (2.45 mg), selenium (2.4 µg)
- Water: about 5.3 g

What makes hazelnuts special
- They contain a lot of fat, mostly heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
- They’re a rich source of vitamin E, fiber, and several minerals, especially manganese and magnesium.
- They add a warm, nutty flavor to foods and pair especially well with chocolate.

Harvesting and growing
- Hazelnuts grow on shrubs or trees and are harvested in mid-autumn when most nuts fall to the ground.
- They’re grown in many places, with Turkey the world’s largest producer (around half of global supply in some years). In the United States, most production comes from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
- There are many cultivars chosen for nut size, taste, yield, or for pollination. Orchards are managed with pruning and different soil- and weed-control methods to protect yields.

Uses and flavors
- Eaten raw or roasted, mixed into trail mixes, or ground into pastes.
- Used in desserts and confections, including pralines, praline pastes, and chocolate products like gianduja and Nutella.
- Hazelnut oil is prized for its strong, nutty flavor and is used for cooking and dressings.

A few notes
- Hazelnuts have a long history in cuisine and culture, and they’re popular worldwide for their distinctive taste and versatility.