What is Hazelnuts?Hazelnuts come from a tree that originated in Europe and western Asia, the corylus avellana. It first became part of organized agriculture in what is now Scotland about nine millennia ago. In that part of the world, these ancient people didn't have much in the way of meat, so they relied on nuts to keep them whole. The fatty and nutritious composition of the nut would have preserved them firm and stable. Imagine that 9,000 years are passing and people are still consuming the same stuff today, although with a little extra sugar - although hazelnut coffee certainly does not count as part of the paleo diet. Hazelnuts are grown across the globe these days, in Turkey, Poland, the U.S. and China. The nut's key uses are hazelnut spreads and candies and consumer demand for the unique flavor just keeps rising. In just about every restaurant and cafe around the globe, you can also grab a cup of hazelnut coffee, but none of those made with sugar syrup are as good as the cup you brew at home. |