Hazelnuts, the New Gold of Piemonte

Hazelnuts in Piemonte

Hazelnuts have a special place in Piemontese cuisine. An important crop grown all throughout the region, the hazelnut – nocciola – is high quality particularly in Alta Langa (the southern, higher-elevation region of the Langhe). Here, the cultivar is known as Tonda Gentile, and the IGP was once called the same (IGP – the European Union mark of origins, Protected Geographical Indication, denoting specific growing criteria and high quality). Its certified growing territory has recently changed to encompass a greater area of Piemonte, and today, they are called Nocciola Piemonte IGT.

A grove of hazelnut trees is called a noccioleto – yes, there is even a separate word to describe these wooded areas. After five years, hazelnuts can already be harvested; and after ten, the trees are at least as tall as an adult, and can reach up to 19 ft (6 m) tall. The groves create shaded forests swept well clean of debris to facilitate harvest. Lying under the earth and in symbiotic growth with hazelnuts is another treasure, often called the “white gold” of the Langhe: tuber magnatum, or the white truffle.

Photo from Mark Dries, Creative Commons.

Plant Your Noccioleto Now

The Nocciola Piemonte IGT is the new “gold” of the Langhe in 2015. Due to a poor hazelnut crop in 2014 in the world’s top producing country, Turkey (accounting for about 70% of global production), prices for hazelnuts have as much as quintupled in 2015. Couple that with an increase in demand in hazelnuts worldwide, and the opportunity to plant hazelnut groves has caught the eye of many farmers.

The charming town of Bossolasco in the Alta Langa recently hosted a conference on the protection and development of the Nocciola Piemonte IGT, “La Nocciola della Langa: un prodotto da valorizzare e difendere.” Italy is the biggest producer of hazelnuts after Turkey and only shows signs of increasing production (and the world just keeps demanding more). There could be no better advice than to plant nocciolete far and wide.

However, these eager farmers should focus on upholding the high quality of the Tonda Gentile cultivar. As Gian Paolo Braceschi, food technologist from the Center of Tasting Studies, demonstrated, the Tonda Gentile was blindly voted to be of higher quality than other hazelnuts (including cultivars from Lazio, Italy and Turkey). Hazelnuts, it seems, are affected by terroir as much as wine: its quality is higher when cultivated in the hills, while the same cultivar loses some characteristics in the plains. The IGP territory has been enlarged, and it now includes areas where cultivating such high quality might be more difficult.

A Tasty Treat

In Piemonte, you are more likely to find a small bowl of hazelnuts at “happy hour,” or aperitivo, than peanuts. When toasted, they are crunchy, fragrant, and make for exceptional snacking. But hazelnuts for more than munching on in Piemonte: this round nut has found its way into exquisite dishes, particularly desserts – not least of which is Nutella.

Most traditional hazelnut recipes in Piemonte are desserts. These include brut e buon, or “ugly but good” cookies that live up to their name; ossa da mordere, another fun name – “bones to gnaw,” invented in the same town of Borgomanero as brut e buon; salame del Papa, the Pope’s salami, a chocolate hazelnut decadence popular during Easter; and finally, the torta della nocciola, hazelnut cake.

On the menu for appetizers, first, and second courses are less traditional, but no less popular, hazelnut dishes. When chopped very fine, toasted hazelnuts are complimentary in taste and texture for carne cruda, raw beef. They are delicious with prosciutto crudo (di Cuneo, if you’re trying to stay local). Peppers stuffed with a mixture of tonnato, or tuna sauce, and crunchy hazelnuts is the perfect side dish. And the arrosto di maiale alle nocciole – roasted pork loin in hazelnut sauce – is an impressive and savory second. And don’t forget the cheese: whole toasted hazelnuts with aged and fresh cheeses (we recommend goat cheese) is incredible.

A well-known hazelnut dessert is the torta della nocciola. Its subtle flavor and soft crumb make it perfect for a mid-afternoon snack, delicious with crema al zabaione after dinner, or – why not? – ideal for breakfast.

Wine pairing

Moscato d’Asti

This aromatic wine made in the Monferrato gets its lightly sparkling effervescence from interrupted fermentation – making it sweet, delicate, and low in alcohol (around 5%). It is fresh and fruity, with notes of peach, pineapple, acacia flowers, and honey. It is also the perfect pairing for many types of desserts.

Photo from Leana~, Creative Commons 

Sources:

Comunità Montana Alta Langa, "La coltivazione del nocciolo in Alta Langa" pdf.
Conference “La Nocciola della Langa: un prodotto da valorizzare e difendere.” Bossolasco (CN), May 18, 2015.
Dallasfood.org, "Focus on Gianduia, Part 13: Michele Prochet and the 1865 Birth of Gianduia."