Green hazelnut

The hazelnut tree (Corylus avellana) has accompanied human civilization since prehistoric times. Archaeological evidence shows hazelnut consumption across Europe dating back over 9,000 years. Wild hazelnut forests once stretched across the Caucasus region and Anatolia, where the plant likely originated. Mediterranean cultures incorporated hazelnuts into foods, medicines, and rituals. The Romans called the hazelnut 'Pontica' after the Black Sea region, one of its earliest cultivated areas. During the Middle Ages, monks cultivated hazelnut groves throughout monastery gardens for both culinary and medicinal purposes. In perfumery, hazelnut notes gained prominence during the 20th century's gourmand revolution, though Turkish and Italian perfumers had long used hazelnut absolute in traditional preparations. Today, Turkey dominates global production, supplying approximately 70 percent of the world's hazelnuts, with the Black Sea coastal region producing particularly aromatic specimens prized by food and fragrance industries alike.