Hazelnuts: Italian High Class from the Bush

Just a shrub by the wayside? Think again! The "Common Hazel," as it's botanically known, is an unsung hero of the plant world. In Italy, the supreme class of these round all-rounders thrives, creating many crunchy and creamy delights. Get a tasty insight into what Seeberger hazelnuts go through before they roll their way into your heart.

Anna Moscagiuri

18.04.2024

in #Produkt-Stories

Lesedauer: 5 Minuten

Hazelnuts with Heritage

In the picturesque landscapes of Italy – Piedmont, Rome, Naples – the hazelnuts we trust at Seeberger are born. The top varieties of hazelnuts are known as "Ronde Romane" and "Tonda Gentile," which translates to "Gentle Round.” These varieties are considered the best in the world. They have been cultivated in the fields of these regions for centuries, carrying with them a great measure of tradition and authenticity.

Piedmont – Esteemed and Protected

The "Nocciola Piemonte IGP" has a protected geographical indication (PGI) and can only be grown in Piedmont – the area between the Alps and Genoa. It's also known as "Tonda Gentile delle Langhe" and is prized for its aroma and fine texture. The region has an excellent reputation for producing top-quality hazelnuts. At Seeberger, we use the "Tonda Gentile" for our roasted hazelnut kernels, as their flavor profile is clearly at home in the sweet corner. Plus, they're easy to blanch.

Volcanic Soil and Sunlight – the Perfect Recipe

Further south, embraced by the gentle waves of the Mediterranean, Rome and Naples unveil their own version of hazelnut paradise. The sun-kissed fields and slopes, interwoven with the vibrant history and culture of ancient Italy, offer a perfect stage for growing our delicious "Roman Rounds." The secret? Maybe it's Naples' rich volcanic soil near Vesuvius, brimming with minerals. The "Roman Rounds" are, in any case, the greatest delicacies when pure, which is why they have the honor of shining as Seeberger solo snacks and in our nut mixes.

Cold Days, Warm Thoughts

Patience isn't their strong suit: In the middle of winter, when the entire plant world – even in Italy – is still deep in cold mode, the hazelnut bushes are already summer-ready. They start developing their buds in autumn, and by January, they’re in full swing, releasing millions of pollen grains into the air. At this time, the shrub hasn’t even started growing leaves.

A Feast for Buzzers

Like many other plants, the hazel also forms male and female flowers. The male hazel catkins are elongated tubes 5 to 8 cm in length, hanging from the branches like thousands of springtime ornaments. Although they seem inconspicuous, they're a beacon for many starving insects, often providing them with their first real meal of the year with their pollen.

Hazel in the Air

The male flowers make up for what the female flowers save in terms of insect food: They have neither petals nor do they produce nectar – in short: They have absolutely no interest in flying critters. They remain small and inconspicuous, but thanks to the diligent male catkins, this isn't a problem – pollination happens purely through the pollen-laden air. However, fertilization by pollen from the same tree doesn't work.

When It Finally Gets Warm...

Unlike the blossoms, the hazelnuts themselves prefer it cozy temperatures. That's why, after pollination, the plant discovers its leisurely side and waits until summer rolls in. Only from about 20 degrees Celsius does an egg cell mature in the female flower – and is then fertilized by the enclosed pollen.

Sticking Together on the Strong Bush

In summer, the young nuts grow on the bushy hazelnut shrub, which can reach up to 5 meters high and live for 80 years. It takes about 10 years before a bush forms its first fruits. Hazelnuts don’t grow alone; they always form in typical clusters about the size of a golf ball.

Shaking and Gathering

When the harvest machines arrive in September, the earth around the bushes is first cleaned and cleared of vegetation – because that's where the valuable nuts will soon land. Shaking machines gently shake the branches, causing the nuts to drop. A kind of sweeping machine collects the harvest from the ground and prepares it for processing. During the harvest cycle, the entire plantation is harvested twice in a row, with a two- to three-week gap between each round.

Shedding the Excess

At the processing facility, winnowing the nuts is the first task. This is where foreign materials like leaves, branches, and small stones are removed. Afterward, the nuts are cleaned in water channels before drying down in large silos for two to three days. This makes them durable and prepares for the next important step: Sorting by size and weight, which happens in rotating drums or on vibrating sieves. Things get really serious just before loading: Between two rotating steel rollers, the nuts are cracked, and the shell falls through the grid. By the time they travel to us in Ulm, all unnecessary baggage is removed.

Our Standards for Every Hazelnut

Whether from Piedmont or Rome, it takes just a few hours for them to reach us. Once they arrive, we examine them from shell to core. For our two varieties, "Roman Rounds" and "Tonda Gentile Trilobata," we focus particularly on:

Size and shape: Especially for the "Roman Rounds," we value a harmonious spherical shape and a diameter of at least 14 millimeters. For the Tondas, the optimal size is between 13 and 15 millimeters.
The crunch: All Seeberger hazelnuts stand out for their particularly crunchy bite. To keep it that way, we prick up our ears for every batch. The credo: only if it crunches just right, is the crunch perfect.
The aroma: In our in-house food chemistry lab, we get to the bottom of the nut, checking not only size and consistency but also its flavor profile. We ask ourselves, for example: What flavor notes are detectable? How long do they linger in the mouth? Are there any unwanted side aromas?

Only if they meet the signature delicious Seeberger flavor do the hazelnuts move on to the next step:

The Ronde Romane are packaged – whether pure or in our mixes like Nuts'n'Berries, Nut Kernel Mix, or Trail Mix.
For the Tondas, the journey continues. They are blanched, roasted, and candied – a process that deserves its own chapter.

Enjoyment with a Clear Conscience

You are what you eat. As such, it only makes sense for us to show you how and where your snacks come to life. But enough talk – where are the stars? Grab your pure or sweetened rolling balls from Italy's top cultivation. Guaranteed from a good home and raised with love. <3

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Collection: Hazelnuts: Italian High Class from the Bush