A product of excellence from Piedmont, renowned and appreciated the world over: the Nocciola Piemonte PGI is a masterpiece of nature, thanks to its unique characteristics in terms of flavour and adaptability to processing.
Cultivated in hazelnut groves throughout the entire Piedmont region, it is in the province of Cuneo that it reaches its finest expression in terms of volume and quality.
THE TONDA GENTILE TRILOBATA HAZELNUT: IDENTIKIT
The Nocciola Piemonte PGI has a ball-shaped kernel inside a thin shell. The shape of the fruit allows mechanical shelling with reduced waste, increasing the yield. It is characterised by a persistent aroma which remains intact after roasting. Its natural and persistent sweetness elevates it among other varieties, giving it the reputation for being the finest hazelnut in the world. Easy to process (the film that covers the fruit, known as the perisperm, is easily removed after roasting), it is excellent both raw and in the finished and semi-finished products it is used to create.
AN ANCIENT TREASURE
The hazelnut was one of the first fruits cultivated by man. There is a considerable amount of documentation dating the cultivation of this fruit to ancient Greece; Cato and Pliny documented its popularity and beneficial properties. The fact that it was widely appreciated is proven by signs that are still in use today, such as the pharmacy symbol, the rod of Asclepius, which portrays a snake wound around a hazel branch.
SWEETNESS THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU
The Nocciola Piemonte PGI has a naturally sweet flavour and for years it represented a valid alternative to cocoa in the poor areas of the Langhe and Monferrato. In the original recipe for Gianduiotti (produced by Caffarel in the mid-nineteenth century), hazelnuts were used alongside the finest cocoa beans. It has remarkable nutritional properties: 100 grams of product contain about 650 kcal. The natural oleic component of the fruit makes it suitable for the production of oil, which has been in use since the Middle Ages as a valid alternative to extra virgin olive oil.
GOOD FOR STORAGE
Thanks to its content of good fats and the balanced and harmonious nature of its nutrients, the Nocciola Piemonte PGI has a very good shelf life. Dried or roasted, its retains its original flavour and characteristics without deteriorating quickly. The products made with it also benefit from these natural characteristics, guaranteeing the confectionery or ice cream industry precious, long-lasting and characteristic ingredients.