Hazel or hazel is a genus of deciduous trees or large shrubs that grow in the temperate and subtropical latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The genus is usually assigned to the Birch family, although some botanists distinguish it as a separate subfamily. Hazelnuts - hazelnuts - have long been used in cooking. Their cultivated variety is called hazelnuts.
Description of plants
Hazel are trees or, more often, shrubs with oval, rather large leaves with jagged edges. The shape of the leaves served as the basis for the Russian name hazel. The leaves resemble a bream fish.
Hazel flowers are collected in birch-like earrings. Flowers appear in early spring, before leaves. Fruits - nuts 1, 5-2, 5 centimeters in length and 1-2 centimeters in diameter, surrounded by woody husks. The fruits of all types of hazel are edible.
In general, the genus Corylus, as hazel is called according to the scientific classification, includes 17 species. The most common of these is common hazel (Corylus avellana), often found in European forests.
Hazel has long been introduced into culture. It is believed that nuts were grown by the ancient Romans, although there is no evidence of this. Cultivated varieties of hazel - hazelnuts, began to be cultivated in the 16th century. The number of varieties began to increase rapidly since the 19th century. Many modern hazelnut varieties are natural or artificial hybrids of common hazel and large hazel (Lombard nut).
Production and use of hazelnuts
Today hazelnuts are grown on an industrial scale in Italy, France, Spain, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, China. In North America, nuts are grown intensively in the states of Oregon and Washington in the United States and British Columbia in Canada. But the world leader in this direction is Turkey.
In Turkey, about 625 thousand tons of hazelnuts are harvested annually, or 75 percent of the world production. The main production here is concentrated in the provinces of Giresun and Hordu. In the first province, folk songs are composed about hazelnuts, in the second, its image is placed on the coat of arms of the region.
Hazelnuts are harvested in late autumn. Nuts are not removed from trees by hand now. Producers wait for the nuts, along with the leaves, to fall to the ground. Then special machines sweep all the fallen mass into the middle of the aisle between the trees. The following harvester separates the nuts from leaves and small twigs.
Hazelnuts are consumed both fresh and dried. The taste is noticeably different. Nuts are widely used in the confectionery industry. They are added to some candies and chocolates. Hazelnut paste is used in the preparation of certain types of cakes. Hazelnuts are used abundantly in Turkish cuisine, especially on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia. In Georgian cuisine, traditional churchkhela appetizer and satsivi sauce are often prepared with hazelnuts.
