Between the Langhe hills lies a crunchy and fragrant gem, a true star in the heaven of Italian delicacies. We’re talking about the PGI Piedmont hazelnut.

Its variety is technically called “Tonda, gentile trilobata” and the reason is quite obvious. “Tonda” means round, “gentile” means delicate, which perfectly reflects its excellent and refined taste. “Trilobata” means trilobed, because it is not perfectly spherical but it’s, in fact, formed by three joined protrusions.

Other features of the hazelnut variety from Langhe that make it superior to all others are certainly its high natural peelability, which makes it easier to work with, and its good shelf life, due to the low fat content. 

It also has an excellent yield in terms of production. Its shell is very thin, but much harder than that of other varieties. All in all, a real protective shield for these wonderful fruits. 

History and territory

Our territory is unique, with five Unesco World Heritage Sites. And right here, between hills and castles, grows the best hazelnut variety in the world.

But what’s so special about this territory? And why are hazelnuts so great here? It might be the altitude, perhaps it’s the organoleptic characteristics of the soil, maybe even the proximity to the Liguria sea, the fact is that there’s only one hazelnut from Langhe.

Speaking of its history, the Piedmont hazelnut deserves an honorable mention. Did you know that hazelnut cultivation received an incredible boost from the war between Napoleon and England?

In 1806 Napoleon asked (or should we say, forced) his subjects and allies to block any trade relations with England, which at the time was dispensing cocoa from the colonies.

The master pastry chefs of Turin then had a brilliant idea: mixing the remaining cocoa stocks with hazelnut flour from Piedmont. This is show Gianduja chocolate was born. Now that’s how you make the best out of every situation..!

The harvest

Hazelnuts are only collected when they are ready to come off the tree. A hazelnut that is still green doesn’t preserve well and, above all, has a level of aflatoxins that is potentially harmful to humans.

Obviously, not all countries have a strict regulation on agri-food products like Italy. One more reason to always read the label carefully and choose only national products.

The harvest season is autumn. When the shell is woody and turned deep brown, it’s time to arm yourself with patience and sift the soil in search of the precious fruits.

And it has to be fast, because if hazelnuts touch the ground for too long they absorb its moisture. As long as squirrels and boars don’t come first…

The P.G.I. award and the Protection Consortium

On December 2nd 1993, the hazelnut from Langhe got the Protected Geographical Indication recognition. The product specification lays down the product’s characteristics, its area of production, cultivation, marketing and labelling systems.

Another important date is September 19th 2019. As the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies announced, the EU has finally approved the amendment to the disciplinary PGI Piedmont hazelnut with the introduction of the name “Langhe”.

The link between the territory and its fruits is unbreakable, we know that. It’s important to always remember it. Because we do have to say that this exceptional hazelnut only grows in the Langhe area, it is extremely important.

Meanwhile, the Consortium for the Valorisation and Protection of the PGI Piedmont hazelnut has the task of supervising production and promoting the product at a commercial level, with initiatives aimed at making it known even outside its territory.

Taste characteristics

We have seen the most technical aspects of this hazelnut but now let’s focus on the tasting side, which is what interests us most.

The hazelnut from Langhe is the best in the world. And if you think I’m exaggerating, it’s probably because you’ve never tasted the real PGI hazelnut from Langhe, the one our colleagues from Terra delle Nocciole produce in Cravanzana, in the province of Cuneo.

They are three friends, third generation hazelnut growers, who have brought their farms together in a network that, in addition to direct cultivation, also follows the processing and refinement into semi-finished products.

The taste is absolutely unmistakable. Once you have tasted the PGI hazelnut from Langhe, there’s no turning back.

The taste is refined, enveloping and delicate, the aroma is persistent especially after its roasting which releases the scent in all its intensity.

Whole, flour, chopped or spread? 

The world’s best hazelnuts are available in various forms: whole, simply roasted and peel-free, finely chopped, flour or spread.

It all depends on how you want to spoil yourself. With whole hazelnuts, well, it’s an easy game. Take a nice bowl, fill it with hazelnuts and just start enjoying them, but beware because just like cherries, one leads to another.

Or you can prepare some spectacular desserts with hazelnut flour, we already talked about it in our blog.

You can use chopped hazelnuts to decorate cakes, pies, tarts, or you can use them to add a crunchy note to ice cream, yogurt and puddings. You can also add them to savoury dishes, to coat meat rolls or to enrich a sauce for pasta (for example they’re delicious with Gorgonzola cheese).

With the hazelnut spread you can really go wild. It is a pure product, made of 100% PGI Piedmont hazelnuts. You can use it to fill cakes, donuts, sweet rolls, or spread it on bread, just as it is, or use it to prepare mousse, ice creams and frozen desserts.

And there you go. The hazelnut from Langhe has no more secrets for you now. So what are you waiting for? Go buy it and get ready for a meeting with goodness.