subject: Hazelnuts - An Overview [print this page] There are over 100 different varieties of hazelnuts grown all over the world including Canada and the United States. However, the largest commercial grower is Turkey, which grows over 70% of these delicious nuts.
Because there are so many varieties of hazelnuts, they also have different names such as cob nuts, or filberts which are larger and more of an oval shape.
They grow on a small shrub or tree about 8 meters tall.
Healthy Uses
The nut inside the shell is used as food for humans as well as animals, and the bark and leaves are used for medicinal purposes.
Extracts are made from the bark and leaves and are used externally to relieve diaper rash, eczema, scalds, sunburns, insect bites, and other skin conditions. It can also be used as a tea to relieve sore throats and diarrhea.
When used in foods the nuts are processed into oil, butter and hazelnut spreads such as Nutella. The nuts are also ground into flour which can be used in baking.
Hazelnuts are used to flavor other foods such as coffee, chocolate, and ice cream.
How to Eat
The best way to eat them for maximum health benefits is to eat them raw, but they can also be toasted.
Add them to your salads, and stir-fries, or sprinkle them on your baked goods, or ice cream.
When purchasing these nuts for raw consumption buy them as fresh as you can; preferably you want to buy them in the shell. Once they are out of the shell they begin to lose the freshness, and their flavor.
