THE LANGUAGES.
Nature, with its generosity, and man, with his commitment and desire to give genuine and traditional flavors, have allowed this area to become world famous for its excellent products.
"HAZELNUT PIEDMONT IGP" OF THE LANGHE
The "IGP Piedmont Hazelnut" from Langhe is the best in the world for its sweetness, pleasant aroma, intense and persistent taste and high shelf life.
The Langhe
Situated in southwestern Piedmont between the provinces of Cuneo and Asti, to the right of the Tanaro River to the border with Liguria, lies the Langhe, a hilly region rich in food and wine excellence, medieval villages and traditions.
The IGP Piedmont Hazelnut finds its vocated area par excellence among the hills of the Langhe in the Alta Langa (mountainous area) where hazelnuts have been cultivated since the 1600s where a unique micro-climate gives the "IGP Piedmont Hazelnut" of the Langhe unique properties that distinguish it from all other hazelnuts.
The "IGP Piedmont Hazelnut" of the Langhe: a prized fruit with a delicious flavor, born and bred in a unique land generous with products of excellence.
The last vineyards fade and ripple into hazelnut groves, wooded patches and grazing meadows that smell from the breeze coming in from the sea.
Man has not given up the cultivation of vines and, with hard work, has built dry stone walls, taking tongues of land from the forest: the terraces are a mighty testimony to this. With the stones recovered from the deep uplands, he built warm and cozy stone houses, the pride of rural architectural type.
Enchanting panoramas lead the visitor's eye through its valleys and invite him to climb the ridges where small villages dominate the infinite with their towers and strongholds, in the background the Alps that seem to slope down to the rich hills of fine wines. From Murazzano to Benevello, from Cortemilia to Bossolasco, the Alta Langa is a natural amphitheater dotted with entire stone hamlets enlivened by the red baked tiles. Not yet beaten by the tourism of large numbers, the Alta Langa stands as an ideal place for nature and green stays, no shortage of unique and robust tastes and flavors, Murazzano cheese, Toma delle Langhe and other small niche productions and then, that wonderful dessert made from Tonda Gentile, the hazelnut cake, unmistakable and particularly pleasing to the palate for an end of a meal or in moments of celebration accompanied by a glass of Moscato or a flut of Brut Alta Langa, whose vine also adapts to higher altitudes from which it takes an intriguing scent.
Hospitality is in the nature, an added value that comes from as far back as Homeric times. The Alta Langa is rich in history and legend as evidenced by both sacred and profane testimonies, they are literary lands, of Pavese's myth and Fenoglio's peasant and partisan epic, hills these for a trip down memory lane, but also a pleasant stimulus for a present that looks to the future.
Decisive floral and honey notes are perceived, accompanied by fruity aromas of fresh, cooked and dried fruit, vegetal notes of forest and wood that, together with roasted coffee and cocoa and spicy scents, give a rich, broad and complex bouquet. The IGP Piedmont Hazelnut of the Langhe expresses itself, in its complexity of aromas, with great power, intensity and strength, offering the mind limitless possibilities for exploration, like an orchestra of many instruments blending into perfect harmony.
Scientific research has shown with certainty that consuming hazelnuts and nuts at least 4 times a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease and the risk of heart attack and diabetes.
In controlled clinical trials, planned intake of hazelnuts produced a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol, with no change in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Hazelnuts are very rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid), vitamin E, phytosterols (especially beta-sitosterol), polyphenols, and beneficial minerals, such as magnesium, copper, and selenium. They produce significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, have a low sugar content and a high fiber content.
Although it is a high-fat and high-calorie food, habitual consumption of hazelnuts does not promote body weight gain because it induces a feeling of satiety by reducing the desire to consume other foods.
Food properties of hazelnut
The hazelnut, which is widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, was one of the first fruits used and cultivated by man, already representing an important source of energy for early nomadic peoples. In fact, the hazelnut, in addition to a significant content of essential amino acids and vitamin E, is particularly rich in lipids, with a caloric intake of 700 Kcal per 100g of dried hazelnuts. In particular, the lipid fraction consists of more than 40 percent monounsaturated fatty acids (such as oleic acid) and has the highest monounsaturated/polyunsaturated ratio compared to other nuts. Numerous studies seem to demonstrate the positive effects of regular consumption of nuts on human health. In fact, it is confirmed that a diet rich in oleic acid (the same fatty acid found in extra virgin olive oil) makes it possible to maintain the so-called "Bad Cholesterol" at low levels in the blood, and to raise the levels of "Good Cholesterol," which with its protective action on cell membranes constitutes an important defense of vascular diseases. In addition, due to its high content of tocopherols, including vitamin E, the hazelnut provides a considerable supply of antioxidant agents, slowing tissue aging. The chemical and physical composition of hazelnut oil, which is very similar to that of extra-virgin olive oil, thus confirms the noble nutritional properties of this fruit. In particular, the IGP Piedmont Hazelnut of the Langhe, distinguishing itself from other Italian and foreign varieties by its high oil content (about 70 percent), proves to be a valuable and quality food, capable of satisfying not only the demand for taste but also the needs of a consumer increasingly attentive to the nutritional and health aspects of food products.