Finest quality of hazelnuts from the Black Sea region of Turkey, where 70 % of the world’s hazelnut demand is provided.

It has been mentioned in historical documents that hazelnut was produced 2300 years ago in the Black Sea coast on the north of Turkey and it is known that hazelnut has been exported from Turkey to other countries for the last 6 centuries.

Turkey is the number one in the world with favorable weather conditions for hazelnut production, accounts for 75% of the global production and 70-75% of the exportation.

Hazelnut fields, widely spread in the Black Sea coasts of Turkey, have been located within 30 km from the coast towards inland. In the western Black Sea, it starts from Zonguldak and extends to the east over the entire Black Sea like a green strip lying between the sea and the mountains almost until the Georgian boundary.

4.000.000 people are directly or indirectly related to hazelnut which has been produced on an area of 550-600 thousand hectares in Turkey, which is a fact that boosts the socioeconomic importance of hazelnut.

Turkey has a distinguished place among the other hazelnut producers in the world, thanks to its high quality, and maintains its leading position in production and exportation.

Qualities of Turkish Hazelnut

The Turkish hazelnut, according to its quality is divided into two groups: Giresun and Levant quality.

Giresun Hazelnut Quality : “Giresun Quality” are those round-shaped hazelnuts, which grow in Giresun and in certain districts of Trabzon. “Giresun Quality” hazelnuts are the world’s highest-quality hazelnuts.

Levant Hazelnut Quality : These hazelnuts, which are named according to their production areas such as Levant Akçakoca, Levant Ordu, Levant Trabzon, and Levant Samsun, do contain generally more fat and are better in taste than the hazelnuts grown in other countries although they are poorer in fat content compared to the “Giresun Quality” hazelnuts.

After drying, hazelnuts are separated from their leaves using harvesting machine (thresher) and laid over canopies in thin layers to be dried under the sun. Total period of drying, including the pre-drying, can be maximum 15-20 days depending on the weather conditions. Drying naturally and under the sun is an important factor that gives the Turkish hazelnut its special taste.

Hazelnut processing in the factory:

Currently, there are 180 breaking plants with an internal capacity of 1.800.000 tons per annum and 40 processing plants with an internal capacity of 350.000 tons per annum in our country.

In parallel to the complete fulfillment of buyers’ requirements with the effective and careful quality control systems in every phase of production, particularly processed hazelnut kernel exports are increasing every year. The processed hazelnuts prepared in our country have higher quality than the processed hazelnuts prepared by many exporters-manufacturers in their own plants by purchasing natural hazelnuts.

Applications for Turkey Hazelnuts

Besides being consumed as snack both in Turkey and in the world, about 90% of hazelnuts are used in roasted, whitened, minced, sliced, powder and puree form as a side-ingredient in chocolate, biscuit, confectionery industry, in making sweets, pastries and ice-cream and in meals and salads.

Hazelnuts Usage Areas:

Chocolate: Whole kernel, diced, paste, meal

Bakery: Diced, meal, paste

Mixed nuts: Hazelnut Roasted, blanched, natural whole kernels

Cookie: Hazelnut Diced, paste, meal

Ice-cream: Hazelnut Diced

Salads, coffee: Hazelnut oil

Hazelnut Beneficial to Human Health

Hazelnut is rich in unsaturated fats and beneficial to human health. They do not contain cholesterol.

Main Ingredients of Turkish Hazelnuts (in 100 gr);

Energy (kcal) 640.00, Fat (g) 62.60,

Palmitic Acid 2.96%, Stearic Acid 0.52%, Oleic Acid 90.71%, Linoleic Acid 5.81%,

Protein (g) 19.65, Carbohydrates (g) 11.90, Moisture (g), 3.02, Fiber (g) 1.81, Potassium (mg) 456.40, Magnesium (mg) 146.59, Calcium (mg) 127.64, Vitamin E 23.14, Iron (mg) 4.99, Zinc (mg) 2.04, Sodium (mg) 0.28,

Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.242, Vitamin B1 (mg) 0.210, Vitamin B2 (mg) 0.114

You can consider the hazelnut a mineral and vitamin tablet due to it’s proven valuable contributions to human health.

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