Dried Fruit - Roasted Shelled Hazelnuts (Italy)

Italian shelled toasted hazelnuts represent an excellence in dried fruit, appreciated worldwide for their superior quality and unmistakable aromatic profile.

Main Characteristics

• Appearance and Texture: They have a spherical or sub-spherical shape, are free of the outer shell, and are sized. After the toasting process, the thin residual skin partially detaches, revealing a uniform golden color. The texture is crispy and crumbly.
• Aroma and Flavor: Toasting enhances the natural oils of the hazelnut, releasing an enveloping aroma and a rich, sweetish flavor, with intense toasted notes and no trace of bitterness.
• Precious Italian Varieties: Among the most renowned cultivars are Tonda Gentile delle Langhe (PGI from Piedmont), Tonda di Giffoni (PGI from Campania), and Nocciola Romana (PDO from Lazio).

Nutritional Profile

• Good Fats: Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (especially oleic acid), useful for supporting cardiovascular health.
• Vitamins and Minerals: Excellent source of Vitamin E (a powerful natural antioxidant), magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese.
• Fiber and Protein: They provide a good content of vegetable fibers, useful for intestinal well-being and for increasing the feeling of satiety.

Culinary Uses

• Snack and Nutritious Break: Perfect to be consumed naturally for an energetic break, before sports, or for breakfast.
• Pastry and Desserts: Key ingredient for the preparation of gianduia, brittle, cakes, biscuits, pralines, and cocoa and hazelnut spreads.
• Savory Dishes: Chopped into granules or flour, they enrich salads, pestos, crispy breadings for meat and fish, or stuffed pasta dishes.