Hazelnut annual consumption rate around the globe reaches 215 thousand tones. In the nineties it has been increasing to 300 thousand tones. Yet, more than half of the world population would not have realized that they consume it in large quantities everyday. It is because hazelnut is not only consumed in the form of raw nut alone, but also as the main ingredient in chocolate, coffee flavoring, the famous vodka-based liqueurs branded Frangelico, cookies, ice cream, salads and even cooking oil (hazelnut oil). It is also mostly used in confectionery to make praline. Or, when combined with chocolate, it is to make truffles. While in Turkey, it is used as one of common ingredients in home cooking.
Hazelnut is the nut of the hazel, also well-known as cobnut. Being spherical or oval in shape, about 15 – 25 mm long and 10 – 15 mm in diameter, it has an outer fibrous husk covering its smooth shell. The seed kernel is edible and used fresh or roasted, or ground into paste. The seed has a thin, dark brown skin with a slightly bitter flavor. Sometimes it is removed before cooking.
Hazelnut has been native to the Black Sea coast since thousands of years ago, not as a cultivated product but growing wild on trees or shrubs on the mountains steep slopes. Now Turkey is one of few countries in the world producing and exporting most of hazelnut worldwide consumption. Over 8 million Turkish depend their life and politics directly on hazelnut production, marketing, processing and consumption.
More over, hazelnut offers health benefits for our body. It has been researched to be one of new cancer cures due to its saturated fats property. It has no cholesterol. Instead, it is rich in thiamine and vitamin B6. A single cup of hazelnut flour consists of 20 g of carbohydrates, 12 g of which are fiber. In each of 100 g hazelnuts there are 641.00 kcal of energy, 62.60 g of fat, 19.65 g of protein, 11.90 g of carbohydrates, 1.81 g of fiber, 456.40 mg of potassium, 146.59 mg of magnesium, 127.64 mg of calcium, 4.99 mg of iron, 2.04 mg of zinc and 0.28 mg of sodium. Its fat composition is 90.71 per cent of oleic acid, 5.81 per cent of palmitic acid and 0.52 per cent of stearic acid.
In short, the world needs hazelnut production maintained well due to its global massive consumption and the health benefits hazelnut offers.
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Land is so generous that it makes up for every piece of hard work. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
