Common hazel

About two thirds of all the hazelnuts in the world come from Turkey’s Black Sea slopes.

The common hazel is a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with roundish, rough leaves. It flowers as early as winter, putting out yellow, hanging male catkins, and in autumn produces nuts in leafy husks. It likes a mild, humid climate and fertile soils on slopes. Hazelnuts are a mainstay of confectionery – from pralines to chocolate spreads – and their oil is used in cooking and cosmetics.

Significance in the country

Turkey is the unrivalled world leader in hazelnut production, and hazel orchards are the main livelihood of hundreds of thousands of families along the Black Sea. Fındık is also a staple ingredient of Turkish sweets such as halva and lokum (Turkish delight).

Where it grows

Grown mainly in a narrow strip along the Black Sea coast – most of all in the provinces of Ordu and Giresun, as well as in Trabzon, Samsun, Sakarya and Düzce.

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