One bite and I can hear Christmas carols in my head, I feel that blizzard coziness throughout my body, and the smell of pine wafts through my nostrils.
I am not sure how the association with the holiday season came to be. Perhaps it was my Italian grandmother’s cookies which were made with this nut – a Piedmontese staple. Or maybe the association is from my traditional New Year’s Eve Chocolate Nutella tart. This nut is also more abundant in the winter months, possibly creating the link.The outer shell tends to be bitter and is often removed when used for cooking. A small, round, crisp, nut is left. A flavor that is unique and potent. Raw it tastes like the grassy fields that it was harvested from. Roasting brings out a burnt butter-like flavor. Used in confections it develops a layered flavor.
I love this nut anyway I can get it. Raw in a nut bowl for snacking. Slightly toasted in a salad with chèvre. Finely chopped and crusted on a leg of lamb. Mixed with melted butter and formed into a crust. And, of course, mixed with chocolate or coffee for a heavenly flavor unique only to the hazelnut.
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