Features

Piedmont Hazelnut is another little italian "treasure".
Italy is hazelnut second producer in the world, after Turkey.
It is mainly used in the confectionery industry for making creams, cakes, ice cream and as ingredient of 'gianduiotto', the typical and delicious Piedmontese chocolate.
The piedmont Hazelnut P.G.I. is referred to the "Tonda Gentile Trilobata" type ("gentle round trilobate") as a shelled, unshelled or semi-processed fruit.
Its flavour is sweet with a persistent aroma.

Its shape is spherical and fruit has a sub-spherical shape, non-uniform in size between 17 and 21 mm. The shell has a medium thickness with non-bright hazel colour.

Health and nutrition

Hazelnuts, like other dried fruits as almonds, walnuts, etc., are an increasingly present food in the daily diet because of their very important beneficial properties.

The hazelnuts are rich in vitamins, minerals (potassium, magnesium phosphorus and calcium), proteins (about a 14%), fibre and antioxidants such as vitamin E, folic acid.

It has about a 40% of monounsaturated fatty acids (as oleic acid), linoleic acid (polyunsaturated fatty acid): So, a diet rich in these "good fatty acid" can keep a low level of "bad colesterol", while to raise the level of "good cholesterol"; This double result, combined with the important content of vitamin E, a power antioxidant, has a protective action on cell membranes, thus counteracting their degenerative process.