Overview

The hazelnut is the fruit of several species in the genus Corylus, primarily Corylus avellana (common hazel) and Corylus maxima (filbert). It is a small, round to oval nut with a hard smooth shell and a papery brown skin covering a pale, creamy kernel. The flavor is sweet, rich, and mildly earthy, with a distinct toasted aroma when roasted.

Origin and history

Hazelnuts have been gathered by humans since the Mesolithic period, with archaeological evidence of consumption in Europe and Asia dating back over 9,000 years [1]. The Romans valued hazelnuts, and they spread across Europe through trade and cultivation. Turkey has long been a major producer; as of the early 2000s, it accounted for roughly 70 percent of global supply [2]. The name “filbert” is thought to derive from St. Philibert, whose feast day (August 20) coincides with the nut’s ripening in England [1].

Varieties and aliases

  • Cobnut: a common name for Corylus avellana varieties with round, spherical nuts.
  • Filbert: typically refers to Corylus maxima, with elongated nuts about twice as long as they are round.
  • Barcelona hazelnut: a commercial variety grown in Spain and the Pacific Northwest.
  • Tonda Gentile: an Italian variety prized for its flavor, used in Piedmontese gianduia.
  • Lambert filbert: a common commercial variety in Oregon.

Culinary uses

Hazelnuts are eaten raw, roasted, or ground. Roasting intensifies their flavor and loosens the bitter brown skin, which is often rubbed off before use. They are a key ingredient in gianduia, the chocolate-hazelnut paste from Piedmont, Italy, and in French praline, where caramelized almonds or hazelnuts are ground to a paste. In baking, hazelnuts appear in cakes, cookies (such as Italian biscotti di nocciola), and pastries. They are also pressed for oil, which has a high smoke point and a nutty flavor suitable for dressings and light sautéing [2].

Cross-cuisine context

Hazelnuts appear across several cuisines represented in Los Angeles. In Egyptian cooking, they are a component of dukkah, a dry spice-nut blend eaten with bread dipped in olive oil [3]. They also appear in umm ali, a bread pudding layered with puff pastry and mixed nuts [3]. In Persian cuisine, hazelnuts are part of ajeel, the mixed dried fruit and nut platter served during Yalda night, alongside pistachios, almonds, and walnuts [4]. In Russian and Ukrainian baking, hazelnuts are ground into meringue for Kievsky tort, a layered cake of crisp hazelnut-meringue disks and buttercream [5]. No widely recognized analogue exists in Mexican cuisine, where the dominant tree nut is the almond.

Notes for cooks

  • To remove skins, roast hazelnuts at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, then rub them in a clean kitchen towel while still warm.
  • Hazelnut oil is highly perishable and should be stored in the refrigerator after opening.
  • Ground hazelnuts can substitute for almonds in many recipes at a 1:1 ratio, though the flavor will be more assertive.