Hazelnuts

Rich and hearty and, when blended as a salad dressing, divinely creamy, hazelnuts are sometimes referred to as filbert nuts or cobnuts, which differ by species.

Hazelnuts are harvested in mid-autumn. An average-size hazelnut weighs 1.4 grams and contains 9 calories. A cup of whole hazelnuts weighs 135 grams and contains 848 calories.

Hazelnuts’ binomial name is Corylus avellana. Hazelnuts grow on hazel trees, small deciduous trees native to southern Europe and Turkey.

Hazelnuts are chock-full of B vitamins, especially Vitamin B2, along with minerals, especially manganese. It contains great amounts of Vitamin E and magnesium.

Turkey is the leading producer of hazelnuts, growing 660,000 tonnes in 2012, or about 75 percent of worldwide production, followed by Italy (85,000 tonnes) and the United States (30,000 tonnes). Azerbaijan (29,000 tonnes) and Georgia (24,000 tonnes) round out the list of leading five producers.

Stats for 100 Grams of Hazelnuts (or Filberts)

• 579 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Fiber: 38.8%
• Fat: 93.5%
• Protein: 29.9%
• Vitamin B1: 42.9%
• Vitamin B2: 6.6%
• Vitamin B3: 9%
• Vitamin B5: 9.2%
• Vitamin B6: 28.2%
• Folate: 28.3%
• Vitamin C: 10.5%
• Vitamin E: 74.6%
• Vitamin K: 17.8%
• Calcium: 11.4%
• Copper: 86.3%
• Iron: 26.1%
• Magnesium: 40.8%
• Manganese: 308.8%
• Phosphorous: 29%
• Potassium: 19.4%
• Zinc: 16.3%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 10.8%
• Protein: 8.3%
• Fat: 80.9%

Food Type

• Nut

Sources

• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3698
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/hazelnuts.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazelnut

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