All over the world hazelnut varieties are kept separate during processing to ensure the highest use and price for these tasty treats. Each hazelnut variety has a different taste profile, oil content, kernel yield, and external characteristics such as blanchability (ie. are the skins easy to remove?).

Certain hazelnut varieties, such as the northern Italian “Piedmont,” are world renown for their unique flavor and marketability. These highly sought-after nuts draw a premium price for farmers, as chefs and chocolatiers seek push the flavor found in these amazing varieties.

For many new observers of Oregon’s rapidly growing hazelnut industry, this is surprising information. Most people believe that a filbert is a filbert, and a hazelnut is a hazelnut. For nearly 100 years the Oregon industry was dominated by the “Barcelona” variety, which is know for very large “inshell” size (larger than 20mm) which is perfect for holiday decorations and traditional hand-cracking by grandfathers throughout the world. For years the Oregon farmer benefited from this unique niche market that sold the nut AND the shell to the consumer. Although the Oregon Barcelona variety had a lower kernel yield than other global varieties, it made up the price difference with the larger inshell market premium and remained competitive with the kernel market varieties.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, just when holiday traditions were changing in Europe and the United State and demand for inshell nuts was waning, the Chinese discovered the uniquely large size of the Oregon Barcelona. In the 1990s food traders from Hong Kong started importing Oregon inshell hazelnuts into northern China for the Chinese New Year’s celebrations. This new Chinese market not only made up for the failing domestic and European inshell markets but provided strong new demand for Oregon’s small hazelnut industry.

At about the same time, Oregon State University (OSU) started to release new varieties bred for the much larger world kernel market. These new varieties targeted higher kernel yield and better flavor profiles. Hazelnuts varieties such as Lewis and Clark, were planted and produced high quality kernels and stronger prices for growers.

Then in the mid-2000s Oregon farmers faced a huge threat from the Eastern Filbert Blight, and OSU released a blight resistant variety to replace the Barcelona called “Jefferson.” The Jefferson variety was known to have low kernel yield and low oil content, but these issues were overlooked because it was bred to replace the Barcelona in the Chinese inshell market. With an upright profile that made it easy to grow and strong per acre yields the Jefferson variety became very popular with growers.

Alongside the Jefferson OSU also released the Yamhill and Sacagawea varieties. Those two varieties were aimed at the markets that kernel yield, high flavor, and high oil contents. Many forward-looking farmers jumped at the chance to diversify away from the narrow Chinese inshell market, by growing varieties that would compete with the highest quality hazelnuts in the world. Today you see orchards of Yamhill, Sacagawea, McDonald, Wepster and other kernel varieties being planted up and down the Willamette Valley. These new varieties are now being tested in R&D facilities around the world to see which of the Oregon varieties will be included among the world’s very best.

For nearly 50 years the Red Delicious apple was sold across the country, but picky consumers soon sought taste over the store appearance. Now apple growers have Gala, Fuji and Honeycrisp. Just like apples and wine, the Oregon hazelnut industry is seeking to find the best markets for each variety.

The Oregon hazelnut industry has seen record growth and plantings, and now it is time for the industry to shine with the new varieties that bring to the market the flavor, oil, and other characteristics that the consumer is seeking.