The eastern and northern slopes of the extinct volcano that contains the Lago di Vico in its crater have been given over since time immemorial to the production of the filbert, or hazelnut.
“Oh how very interesting!”, one might say diplomatically. Ahh, but this nut’s importance cannot be over-stated. How so?
Well, forget for a second that a walk among the noccioleti (kno-cho-lay-tee, filbert groves in Italian) or also nocchieti (kno-kee-yay-tee, local dialect) is incredibly relaxing… You’ll find an soothing even, low canopy of green leaves with virtually no undergrowth except a soft carpet of delicate grass…rows upon rows of these lovely trees… all the way to Viterbo if you want! And don’t worry, farmers don’t mind. The nocchieti are almost always completely empty, except in June for pruning and September for harvest.
Forget also for a second that you might discover beautiful abandoned old tufa nocchieto farmers’ homes dotted throughout the great groves, and can snack on the fresh filberts that have fallen to the ground while walking along.
What really makes the filbert so worthy of admiration is that it is the essential ingredient in nocciola ice cream, in gianduia chocolates, and in that most important of Italian children’s food groups… nutella! (A heavenly chocolate-hazelnut spread… poor souls those who are unfamiliar with it.)
Quite hard during a walk in these lovely groves not to wish each and every tree a strong life, that its filberts may reach their full potential and end up on one’s toast.
Auguri, cara Nutella!
– Contributed by GB (see bio), Editor, Italian Notebook.
