The hazelnut (Corylus avellana and Corylus maxima) is the fruit of the hazel tree, a deciduous shrub or small tree native to Europe and western Asia. Hazelnuts have been gathered and eaten across Europe since prehistoric times, making them one of the oldest cultivated nut crops.
Today, hazelnuts are most closely associated with chocolate and confectionery — gianduja (chocolate-hazelnut paste), praline, and products like Nutella and Ferrero Rocher drive the majority of global demand. Turkey produces around 70% of the world’s hazelnuts, followed by Italy, the United States (Oregon), and increasingly, Chile, Georgia, and Australia. Beyond confectionery, hazelnuts are used in baking, salads, and as a snack, and are pressed into hazelnut oil and processed into hazelnut milk.
In Australia, a small but growing hazelnut industry exists, primarily in Victoria, Tasmania, and parts of New South Wales, where the climate suits the trees’ requirement for winter chilling.
How it's produced
Hazelnuts are grown on orchard trees that begin bearing commercially around four to five years after planting and can remain productive for 40 years or more. The trees are wind-pollinated and require cross-pollination between compatible varieties, so orchards are planted with polliniser rows.
Nuts mature inside leafy husks during summer and fall to the ground in autumn when ripe. In large commercial operations, particularly in Turkey and Oregon, the nuts are mechanically swept into rows and harvested from the ground. In smaller operations, including most Australian farms, harvest may be partly manual. After collection, the nuts are dried to reduce moisture content, then dehusked and sorted. They are sold in-shell or processed further — cracked, blanched (to remove the brown skin), roasted, and chopped or ground for various food manufacturing applications.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
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