Toasted hazelnuts from Piedmont (Tonda Gentile Trilobata)

The Tonda Gentile Trilobata

Loved all over the world, so much so that it is considered the world "queen" of hazelnuts thanks to its qualitative characteristics. In addition to being very good, it is also good for health thanks to its organoleptic properties, regular consumption of hazelnuts would have positive effects on health.

First of all, the hazelnut contains a significant number of essential amino acids and vitamin E (which is a powerful antioxidant) and is rich in lipids: the lipid fraction consists of more than 40% of monounsaturated fatty acids (such as oleic acid ) and is characterized by the highest monounsaturated/polyunsaturated ratio compared to other dried fruit. It would seem that a diet with a substantial consumption of oleic acid makes it possible to maintain a low level of the famous "bad" cholesterol, on the contrary raising the level of the "good" one, which constitutes a defense against the onset of vascular problems.

It is grown in a specific area, as the name "Tonda Gentile delle Langhe" suggests. A strip of land in the south of Piedmont, which includes the wonderful hills of the Langhe which, since 2014, are part of the Unesco Heritage. This territory has a perfect climate for its "bush" cultivation: the hazelnut tree fears too much heat and too much cold; therefore, it prefers a mild and well-ventilated climate thanks to the sea breezes from Liguria, and without excessive seasonal changes, and loves fresh soils.

The harvest, now mechanized, begins towards the second half of August and continues until the first half of September.