Name: Hazelnut butter — a rich, smooth paste of roasted hazelnuts (Corylus avellana), also called filbert butter. Pure hazelnut butter is unsweetened, unlike chocolate-hazelnut spread, which is a separate product.
Description
The hazelnut is native to Europe and western Asia, and Turkey is by far the world's largest producer, followed by Italy, Azerbaijan and the United States, where Oregon grows most of the crop. The alternative name “filbert” is often linked to St Philibert, whose feast day falls in late August when the nuts ripen.
Nut butters are made by grinding roasted or raw nuts into a smooth or crunchy paste, and the best are simply nuts, with perhaps a little salt. Roasting the hazelnuts first brings out a deep, sweet, slightly toasty flavour, and the butter is closely related to gianduja and praline pastes used by chocolatiers and pastry chefs.
Main nutrition value
Hazelnut butter provides healthy monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, manganese, copper and fibre, and some protein.
How best to be consumed
Hazelnut butter has a strong, distinctive flavour that works in both sweet and savoury dishes.
- Spread on toast, pancakes or fruit.
- Swirl into porridge, yoghurt and smoothies.
- Use in baking, sauces and dressings, or to make homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread with cocoa and a little sweetener.
- Choose pure hazelnut butter with no added sugar or palm oil.
- Store in a cool place or the fridge after opening.
Overconsumption could cause…
Nut butters are nutritious but very calorie-dense, and portion size matters.
- Weight gain from eating more than a spoonful or two a day, since a tablespoon holds well over 90 calories.
- Added sugar, palm oil and salt in some commercial brands, so check the label.
- Tree nut allergy, which can be severe, so anyone allergic to nuts should avoid it and check labels for cross-contact.
Wikipedia — Hazelnut, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazelnut
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