Piedmontese Hazelnuts: Why the Tonda Gentile Is Considered the Best Hazelnut in the World

Anyone who has eaten a freshly roasted Piedmontese hazelnut understands why confectioners and chocolatiers worldwide pay several times the usual price for this nut. It is round rather than elongated, its skin peels off almost by itself when roasted, and its aroma is so distinctive that a single variety defines the flavor of an entire region. This article explains what makes the Piedmontese hazelnut so special: the Tonda Gentile variety, the Nocciola Piemonte IGP seal, the Langhe Hills – and what you can do with it in the kitchen.

What sets Piedmontese hazelnuts apart from other varieties

“Piedmontese hazelnut” is not a loosely defined indication of origin, but the name of a specific variety grown in a specific place. The variety is called Tonda Gentile Trilobata, formerly and still commonly known as Tonda Gentile delle Langhe. “Tonda” means round, “gentile” noble – and both terms are meant literally.

• Shape: The nut is almost perfectly round and uniform in size. For roasters and confectioners, this means it roasts evenly, without individual nuts burning while others remain raw.
• Skin: The thin brown skin (perisperm) peels off almost completely when roasted. This eliminates the bitterness caused by the clinging skin found on other varieties and is the reason Tonda Gentile is so highly prized for creams and pralines.
• Aroma: A high oil content of around 60 percent and a low level of bitter compounds create a full, sweet, nutty flavor that becomes even more pronounced when roasted.
• Shelf life: The oil in Tonda Gentile is relatively stable, so the nuts do not go rancid as quickly as many other varieties – provided they are properly dried.

It is precisely this combination of shape, ease of shelling, and aroma that has earned the Piedmontese hazelnut its reputation as the “best hazelnut in the world.” The title is not official, but it is undisputed in the industry: when a manufacturer advertises Piedmontese hazelnuts, it is because they are more expensive and better than mass-market varieties from Turkey, by far the world’s largest hazelnut producer.

Nocciola Piemonte IGP – what the seal guarantees

Since the 1990s, the Piedmontese hazelnut has been protected as Nocciola Piemonte IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta, a geographically protected designation recognized throughout the EU). Only products that meet three conditions may bear the seal:

1. It must be the Tonda Gentile Trilobata variety.
2. The nuts must be grown in designated areas of Piedmont – primarily in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti, and Alessandria, namely Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato.
3. Cultivation, harvesting, and drying must comply with the consortium’s production regulations.

For you as a buyer, this means that “Piedmontese hazelnuts” without the IGP designation could be anything. If Nocciola Piemonte IGP is on the packaging, their origin is certified. This is also the case for all products from Papa dei Boschi in our range – the Noè family grows the nuts themselves, processes them themselves, and therefore has no need to trust anyone but themselves.

The Langhe: vineyards, truffles, and hazelnut groves

The Langhe are the rolling hills south of Alba, famous for Barolo and Barbaresco, white truffles, and – less prominently, but economically at least as important – hazelnuts. In Alta Langa, the higher-altitude area between 500 and 800 meters, the soil is too poor for vines and the climate too harsh. It is ideal for hazelnut bushes: alkaline soils, cool nights, warm days, and little moisture. This is also where Papa dei Boschi’s farm is located, at around 700 meters.

The hazelnut industry in the Langhe owes its existence to one name: Alba is home to Ferrero. The company’s demand has multiplied hazelnut cultivation since the 1950s – and at the same time ensured that much of the harvest disappears into large batches. Today, small family farms that roast and market their own nuts are the exception. They are the ones who offer the variety in its finest form.

From bush to jar: harvesting, drying, roasting

Hazelnuts are not picked. They ripen and fall from the bushes in August and September and are gathered from the ground – today mostly by machine, but still by hand in the steep slopes of Alta Langa. Then drying determines the quality: the nuts must be dried quickly and gently to a residual moisture content of around six percent, or they will mold inside their shells or go rancid. Properly dried, they can be stored in their shells for months without losing quality.

The most important step for the flavor is roasting. At around 130 to 150 degrees, roasting aromas develop, the skin peels away, and the nut becomes crisp. Roasted too hot or for too long, it becomes bitter; roasted too briefly, it remains bland. Papa dei Boschi only roasts when an order is received – the nuts you receive from us are only a few weeks old, not months.

Why Turin added hazelnuts to chocolate

Hazelnuts and chocolate belong together thanks to a shortage. During the Napoleonic Continental Blockade at the beginning of the 19th century, cocoa became scarce and expensive in Turin. The city’s chocolatiers stretched their chocolate with what the Langhe had in abundance: roasted, finely ground hazelnuts. They named the result after the Turin Carnival figure Gianduia. What began as a makeshift solution became a classic – first as a praline (Gianduiotto), then as a cream. Every hazelnut cream on today’s shelves is a descendant of this Turin invention. You can recognize the original Piedmontese varieties by their nut content: 50 to 60 percent, compared with the 13 percent in the best-known industrial product.

Papa dei Boschi: hazelnuts straight from the Noè family farm

Papa dei Boschi is the Noè family’s farm in Alta Langa. Joè Noè is now running the farm in the third generation and does everything himself: pesticide-free cultivation, harvesting, drying, roasting, and processing the nuts into creams and pastes. We offer the complete range:

• Roasted hazelnuts, whole, in a 200-g bag or as a 500-g supply – for snacking, with wine and cheese, or in baked goods
• Chopped and ground hazelnuts – for brittle, meringue, and nut cakes
• Hazelnut paste made from 100% nuts without sugar – for ice cream, dressings, and sauces
• Crema di Nocciola La Reina, Crema Gianduia, and Nut Nougat Cream – three hazelnut creams with 55 to 60% nuts and no palm oil

You can find all products and an overview of the farm at Papa dei Boschi.

What to do with Piedmontese hazelnuts

The obvious answer: eat them plain. A good Piedmontese hazelnut needs no salt or chocolate to impress, and it is a rare snack that pairs as well with Barolo as with aged Parmesan. In addition:

• Baking: Hazelnut flour can replace 20 to 30 percent of the wheat flour in sponge cakes, making cakes and waffles more flavorful. Chopped nuts are ideal for braided yeast breads, biscotti, and brittle.
• Savory dishes: Coarsely chopped nuts on burrata with arugula, as a crust for fish or venison, or in a sauce made from nut paste, white wine, and butter for pasta.
• Sweet dishes: Hazelnut paste as a base for ice cream and parfait, Crema Gianduia as a filling for crêpes, tarts, or macarons – or simply on breakfast bread.

Frequently asked questions

What are Piedmontese hazelnuts?

Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnuts (traditionally Tonda Gentile delle Langhe) grown in the hills of Piedmont – primarily in Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato – and protected as Nocciola Piemonte IGP. They are round, peel almost completely after roasting, and are considered the most flavorful hazelnut of all.

Where do the world’s best hazelnuts come from?

According to most confectioners and chocolatiers in northern Italy, they come from Piedmont. Turkey leads in terms of volume, producing around two-thirds of the world’s harvest, but Piedmontese Tonda Gentile is considered the standard for quality – which is why manufacturers pay several times the world market price for them.

Which is the best hazelnut?

The Tonda Gentile from Piedmont – because of its round shape, easily removable skin, and intense roasted aroma. Within the variety, freshness is what matters: businesses such as Papa dei Boschi, which only roast on order, deliver the aroma that is lost in nuts stored for long periods.

How can I tell genuine Piedmontese hazelnuts apart?

By the Nocciola Piemonte IGP seal and the Tonda Gentile variety listed on the packaging. Visually, they are round, uniform in size, and almost completely free of skin after roasting.

Tonda Gentile Trilobata or Tonda Gentile delle Langhe – which is correct?

Both terms refer to the same variety. “Tonda Gentile delle Langhe” is the traditional name, while “Tonda Gentile Trilobata” is today’s official variety name.

How should I store roasted hazelnuts?

In an airtight, dark, cool place – in a screw-top jar in the pantry or in the refrigerator. Consume within four to six weeks of opening; unopened and vacuum-packed nuts will last much longer. A loose vacuum seal upon delivery is not a defect, but simply a signal to transfer the nuts to another container.

Are Piedmontese hazelnuts healthier than other varieties?

Not necessarily. Hazelnuts generally provide unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and fiber – the Piedmontese variety differs primarily in flavor, not nutritional value.

Why are they so much more expensive than hazelnuts from the supermarket?

Lower yields per bush, manual labor on steep slopes, single-variety cultivation, and – at businesses such as Papa dei Boschi – roasting on order. Supermarket varieties almost always come from large-scale Turkish farms and are roasted months before sale.