Hazelnut

The hazelnut, which is the fruit of the hazel tree, contains all nuts originating from species of the genus Corylus, particularly those from the species Corylus avellana. Depending on the species, they can also be called cobnuts or filberts.

Hazelnuts are used in baking and sweets, confectionery to make praline, and also in combination with chocolate for chocolate truffles and products like chocolate bars, hazelnut cocoa spread like Nutella, and Frangelico liqueur. Hazelnut oil, extracted from hazelnuts, has a powerful flavour and is used in cooking. The two countries that produce the most hazelnuts globally are Turkey and Italy.

Description

A cob has a smooth shell that is surrounded by an outer fibre husk that is generally spherical to oval and 15–25 millimetres long. In contrast, a filbert is more elongated and is roughly twice as long as it is wide. Approximately seven to eight months after pollination, the nut matures and bursts from the husk. The edible seed's kernel can be utilised either raw or roasted, or it can be made into a paste. A thin, dark brown skin that covers the seed is occasionally scraped off before cooking.

Hazelnut fruits & Nuts

Hazelnut Uses

Pralines, chocolate truffles, and other confections containing hazelnut paste are made from hazelnuts. Tortes, like the Viennese hazelnut torte, are made in Austria using hazelnut paste as an ingredient. In Kyiv cake, crushed hazelnuts are strewn on top and hazelnut flour is used to flavour the meringue body. A layer of hazelnut meringue frequently appears in French dessert cake called a daccous. The snack churchkhela and the sauce satsivi, which frequently include walnuts, both use hazelnuts. Hazelnuts are also used in the cooking of Turkey and Georgia. Also frequently seen in muesli are hazelnuts. Different flavours of the nuts can be eaten either fresh or dried.

Hazelnut Nutrition

Hazelnuts in their raw state include 5% water, 61% fat, 17% carbs, and 15% protein.

Raw hazelnuts are a high source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of many important nutrients and provide 628 kilocalories of dietary energy per 100 grammes of reference weight.

Protein, dietary fibre, vitamin E, iron, thiamin, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium are all found in hazelnuts in especially high concentrations, all above 30% DV (table). A significant amount of B vitamins are present. Calcium, zinc, potassium, and vitamin K are all present in modest but nonetheless considerable levels (10–19% DV).

A 100 gramme serving of hazelnuts contains 93% of the daily value (DV) for fat. The main types of fat are saturated fat, primarily in the form of palmitic acid and stearic acid (combined, 7% of total), and monounsaturated fat, primarily in the form of oleic acid (75% of total).

Hazelnut Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	628 kcal
Carbohydrate	16.70 g
Dietary fiber	9.7 g
Protein	14.95 g
FAT	60.75 g
Vitamins Quantity %DV†
Vitamin A	0%
Thiamine (B1)	56%
Riboflavin (B2)	9%
Niacin (B3	12%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	18%
Vitamin B6	43%
Foliate (B9)	28%
Vitamin C	8%
Vitamin E	100%
Vitamin K	14
Minerals Quantity %DV†
Calcium	11%
Iron	36%
Magnesium	46%
Manganese	294%
Phosphorus	41%
Potassium	14%
Zinc	26%
Selenium	3%

Hazelnut Tree

Hazelnut Health Benefits

Hazelnuts have a range of health benefits in addition to being a quick source of energy and a simple supply of plant-based protein.

Here are some of the many benefits of including hazelnuts into your diet:

Improve Heart Health

Hazelnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids offer numerous heart-healthy effects, including a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Hazelnuts are abundant in antioxidants, which protect the body from oxidative stress, which can contribute to hypertension, in addition to omega-3 fatty acids. They are high in phenolic compounds, which aid in the health of your heart by decreasing cholesterol and inflammation.

Reduce Cancer Risk

Oxidative stress may raise your chances of developing some cancers. Manganese superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant enzyme found in hazelnuts, aids in the reduction of oxidative stress and may lower your chance of developing cancer.

In addition, hazelnuts contain vitamin E, which protects cells from cellular damage that can lead to cancer.

Finally, proanthocyanidins are abundant in hazelnuts. Proanthocyanidins are chemical compounds that are supposed to help reduce the risk of cancer. In test tube and animal trials, they prevented and cured various types of cancer. More research is needed to see whether the same results apply to humans, but preliminary findings appear promising.