Hazelnut or Fibert:Corylus avellana L.
Article Content:
- .Botanical description:Corylus avellana L.
- .Kernel Types:Hazelnut.
- .Hazelnut Taxonomy,cultivars.
- .Hazelnut Origin, history of cultivation.
- .General Culture:Hazelnut.
- .Nutritional Values:Hazelnut.
- .Research Update:Hazelnut or Corylus avellana L.
Hazelnut Origin, history of cultivation.
The cultivated hazelnut is native to Europe and Asia Minor, preferring regions with mild, moist winters and cool summers. For this reason, most production is located near large bodies of water at mid latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere (along the Black Sea in Turkey, the Atlantic coast in France, the Willamette Valley in Oregon). Hazelnut production failed initially in the eastern US due to Eastern filbert blight (Anisogramma anomala) a fungal disease which attacks young shoots first, but later invades older wood, girdling and killing the trees and entire orchards. In the 1970's, it was found in the Pacific Northwest, where it threatens production.
Folklore, medicinal and non-food uses:
Filbert wood was used for "divining rods" and "witching rods" which helped locate buried treasure or valuable soil minerals/ores. Nuts were associated with the occult, and said to possess mystic powers. Nuts were burned by priests to enhance clairvoyance, used by herbalists for various remedies, and used in marriage ceremonies as a symbol of fertility.
Production statistics World - 785,628 MT, shelled basis (1999 FAO)
1. Turkey - 75-80% of world production; southern coast of the Black Sea.
2. Italy - 15%; coastal areas of western Italy, Sicily.
3. United States - 2%; Cool coastal valleys of Oregon, mostly the Willamette valley (98%) and western Washington (2%). 14,000 - 43,000 MT (in-shell basis), value $15-42 million.
Foreign trade (1996): Imports - 10-20% of US production; Exports - 14-30% of US production; exports tripled since 1982.
Reference:
1.Hazelnut or Fibert:Corylus avellana L.




