Hazelnut
The "nucidda",
Queen of the Nebrodis
Hazelnut, an
all-round delicacy
It comes from a tree which dates back to prehistoric times. The nut spread throughout Europe after the last Ice Age. Italy, in particular Sicily, is now one of its leading producers thanks to the varieties grown in the Nebrodi Mountain range. It is particularly appreciated for its balance between flavor, aroma and texture which remain intact when used in the almond cookies, the crunchy nougats and nougats or chiccosi, delicious dried fruit covered with different chocolate flavours. It is an irresistible temptation for the palate.
Pisti: a world of
Sicilian sweetness
A land and a treasure
Since the 1600s, the hazelnut has been a source of wealth. The Nebrodi mountain range is an uncontaminated and protected habitat, rich in biodiversity. The product cycle of the round hazelnut - from tree to its culinary use - has always been kept by the local women who have looked after the fruit. The nuts are known, with respect to other Italian and foreign varieties, for their sweeter taste, the intensity of their fragrance and their organoleptic characteristics, they are rich in selenium, potassium, omega 3 and 6 and also vitamin E.
A triangle
of hazelnuts
The production of high-quality hazelnuts is concentrated between Castel'Umberto, Tortorici and Ucria. On over 12 thousand hectares of land, there is a production of different varieties of Curcia, Carrello, Ghiaria and Minnulare: This makes Sicily the Italian land leader in the production of this extraordinary nut. It is collected once reached full maturity, between the months of September and October when the nuts tend to naturally fall of the branches, and the bracts that surround them dry up. Then they are transformed into the sweet Pisti delicacies.
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