Nocciole Misto Chiavari - Liguria's hazelnut triumph

 

Hazelnuts

Hazelnut farming in Liguria concentrates in the Sturla valley and in the satellite areas from the Fontanabuona valley to the Graveglia valley, up to the lower Aveto valley. There, since the Middle Ages hazelnuts have played an important part in the local economy.

Throughout the centuries, farmers have adapted cultivation to the unevenness of the area – and hazelnut trees have proved a generous ally. The process implied the selection of spontaneous varieties fit to suit each soil and the testing of the yield – a tale of painstaking hard labor that represents the heritage of these valleys. The output of this commitment was a mix of different hazelnuts traded mainly through wholesalers. Most produce was purchased by the Piedmontese confectionery industry, and only a small quota was destined to local craftsmen. As Chiavari has always played the role of economic and trade capital of the area, hazelnuts were named Misto Chiavari, a variable mix inclusive of varieties such as Tapparona, Dall’Orto, Sraeghetta, Bianchetta and Del Rosso, as well as small quantities of Menoia, Longhera and Trietta. This accounts for the recent history of local hazelnuts – in fact, evidence dates back to 2,500 B.C. – fossil hazelnuts were found in the peat bogs of Rezzoaglio, Aveto valley.

Nowadays, the upswing of the Misto Chiavari hazelnuts is linked to the valorization of agricultural biodiversity. The varieties that make up this mix express the truest and most natural vocation of the area. This perfect synthesis of biodiversity has raised interest in its transformation and commercialization. This also includes the oil obtained from local hazelnuts, whose top-quality organoleptic profile has met the favor of the market. the same applies to hazelnut pastes and other derivative products, highly appreciated even outside the national borders. Slow Food is working at the creation of a Comunità del cibo dedicated to hazelnut growers of the Tigullio valleys.

My English abstract of the article as published on LiguriaFood

Luisa Puppo

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