This is why we should eat hazelnuts routinely
The hazelnut - Corylus avellana - was one of the first fruit plants cultivated by man, in fact it is attested to exist since the ice age. For various other reasons this plant was always surrounded by an aura of mystery and legend: mentioned in the sacred scriptures, much appreciated by Romans and Greeks, the hazelnut is also fully part of the myth of ancient traditions. We asked ourselves why and here is the incredible result!
In Italy, today, unlike many other countries, the consumption of this important fruit is often confined to the Christmas period. However, our country is one of the main producers in the world and the first among producers in Europe.
The botanical name of the hazelnut is Corylus Avellana, from the Greek Koris, helmet, and Avella , an ancient Roman period near Avellino, Campania. Fossil finds prove that the fruits of this plant were an integral part of the diet of primitive man, when he ate berries and wild fruits. Plant native to Mesopotamia , it has spread throughout Europe, especially in the Mediterranean and the Balkans.
With the wood of its branches the wands of magicians and priests were built: in the Middle Ages it was thought that these, using these wands, could recall the dead. We then discover that giving a hazelnut tree to the Romans propitiated happiness while in France this plant was even given as an auspice of fertility. Even the Greeks consumed hazelnuts in abundance, Theophrastus mentioned them in his writings of the fourth century. B.C. The diet of Greek athletes at the Olympics included hazelnuts along with corn and cheese. Also in different Roman eras, torches with fires powered exclusively by hazelnut husks were used during wedding ceremonies, in order to propitiate, if this was not yet clear 
happy and fruitful marriage.
The stone can vary in height between 3 and 36 meters, its leaves are unmistakable and the plant can produce fruit up to the age of eighty. The harvest takes place annually during late autumn, and especially when the season draws to a close and the trees lose their nuts and leaves. Most growers wait for the nuts to fall by themselves, rather than using equipment to shake them from the tree and artificially drop them. The hazelnut harvest is then carried out by hand, by manual or mechanical raking of the fallen walnuts. Once harvested, the walnuts are dried, cleaned, pitted and packaged or further processed.
Simplicity and wisdom of the Italic tradition
In ancient Rome it was common to distribute the so-called golden sweets , during the feast of the winter solstice (21 December), in order to favor the birth of the sun. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and pine nuts were chopped. Honey was heated over a low heat in a saucepan, dried fruit was added, raisins, flour, carob powder were added and mixed together and then made into loaves to bake in the oven. It may seem like a pandolce like many others, but you too can try to find a pie on the market today so balanced in terms of energy, proteins, carbohydrates and essential micronutrients!
The best qualities of Italian hazelnuts are produced in Piedmont, Lazio and Campania. In Piedmont, hazelnut cultivation spread during the 1800s, after the vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera, a pest insect. The farmers then rediscovered this important crop, leading it to constant growth, so much so that today Italy is in second place in world production, immediately after Turkey. The undisputed protagonist, for its particular qualities, is the Piedmontese Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnut , mother of Nutella® and of numerous local desserts, such as gianduiotto, hazelnut cake, amaretto, Piedmontese nougat .
This particular variety of hazelnut is grown mainly in the southern Piedmontese hills, in the province of Cuneo, Alessandria and Asti, enjoying a very favorable microclimate. The cultivation and processing techniques do the rest, allowing a production with special characteristics in terms of aroma, organoleptic resistance, ease of roasting.
A hazelnut plant, after the seventh year of life, is capable of producing up to 5 kilos of hazelnuts per season.
In one hectogram of hazelnuts there are about 630KCAL of energy; this formidable fruit contains fiber, minerals, proteins, vitamins and healthy fats. In particular vitamin E, thiamine, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium. Several B vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, pyridoxine and pantothenic acid are traceable in good quantities. In smaller but still significant quantities, there are vitamin K, calcium, zinc and potassium.
Hazelnuts and the benefits for our health
Eating hazelnuts routinely allows us to balance cholesterol levels, increase heart health, reduce blood pressure and clots, strengthen the immune system, aid in weight loss, help manage diabetes, improve digestive function, optimize metabolism of the body, increase the health of our skin , prevent cancer, enhance cognitive functions , protect against viral and fungal infections and ultimately increase the number of red blood cells.
The peoples who have had the good fortune to know and cultivate this beautiful plant during their history immediately became aware of the nutritional properties of its fruit, precisely for this reason eg. in Austria and especially in Vienna, hazelnut paste is an important ingredient in the world-famous donuts that are produced there. In the US, efforts have been made for many years to promote hazelnut butter to greater popularity, as it is considered more nutritious than peanut butter, although it has a higher fat content. Then there is the gastronomic imagination, which sees the use of the essence of hazelnuts as a flavoring for herbal teas and coffee, but also in the production of a real nectar, hazelnut milk . And how can we forget the enveloping flavor of the nougat so expertly processed by artisan pastry shops all over the peninsula, or the cruder but no less memorable caramelized hazelnut crunch that characterizes popular fairs and festivals.
Last but certainly not in terms of importance, the hazelnut-based liqueurs, such as the ancient Frangelico , which is gradually gaining great popularity.
It is a liqueur that originates in Piedmont, where three centuries ago Christian monks lived who knew the world of food and drink well, in particular the use of wild hazelnuts and other ingredients that form the basis of this spirit. The name derives in fact from the hermit monk Fra Angelico, who according to legend lived on the Piedmont hills in the 17th century.
(source WiKi)
Hazelnuts should never be lacking in any belief, they are so important for our health and so good that it seems incredible to us to be able to see them every day with joy. Could it be that the popular saying "what is good hurts or makes you fat" is starting to take its time? 
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