Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: June 1st, 2022. Today is National Hazelnut Cake Day. I wish I had a place to purchase a slice of Hazelnut Cake because it looks so good but I’ve never had the opportunity to try a slice. Have you?
National Hazelnut Cake Day
National Hazelnut Cake Day is celebrated on June 1st which means its time to raise a toast to the Hazelnut Cake. On this holiday, it is customary to eat Hazelnut Cake which are one of the most popular cakes in America. Their multiple varieties of Hazelnut Cakes make them a great choice for different people with varied tastes.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL HAZELNUT CAKE DAY
Did you know there are references to Hazelnuts are frequently in the Bible. As well as ancient Greek and Roman Mythology in which Hazelnuts were believed to have healing powers. Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar in the 1st Century A.D, and Greek Philosopher and teacher of Botany Theophrastus who was born in around 370 B.C, both wrote extensively about Hazelnuts.
In America, in the pre-European era, native tribes utilized Hazelnuts that grew in the Eastern Woodlands and Oregon and California. Roasted Hazelnuts were used for Oils or eating raw. The Milk of the Hazelnut was used for medicinal purposes, like curing coughs and colds. Hazelnut roots were used to make a blue dye for fabrics, while the branches were used for arrow shafts, basketry, and more.
The arrival of domestic Hazelnuts in America took place with the immigration of Europeans to the U.S. A commercial nursery for Hazelnut Trees was established by Robert Prince in Flushing in 1737. This was after Lewis and Clark brought back specimens of native Hazelnuts from their expedition, which were the very specimens that were grown by Prince in his nursery.
The legacy of American Hazelnuts began in Scottsburg, Oregon, in 1856. Retired English Sailor Sam Strickland settled in Douglas County where he planted the first known Hazelnut Tree in the Pacific Northwest. And now, 160 years later, Oregon is known for the world’s finest Hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts are known by several names, including Pontic, Filbert, and Cobnuts. They are native to the Northern and Southeastern U.S., along with in the Midwest and Canada.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL HAZELNUT CAKE DAY
- Today is the day to bake your favorite Hazelnut Cake which you can have a slice of with Coffee and sit outside on your Patio and enjoy the World while people watching.
- Surprise a loved one by placing an online order for Hazelnut Cake to be delivered to your loved one as a surprise. Or you can make Hazelnut Cupcakes to share with your family.
- If you love Hazelnut Cake then you should know there are lots of Hazelnut Cake recipes on the internet. Look a recipe up and bake a Hazelnut Cake today. If you can’t find a recipe on the Internet you can watch YouTube Videos about how different kinds of Hazelnut Cakes are made.
5 FACTS ABOUT HAZELNUTS
- One of the names for Hazelnuts, i.e. ‘Filbert,’ which is believed to come from a 7th-Century Frankish abbot St. Philibert.
- Did you know there are over 100 types of Hazelnuts around the world? Turkey provides 70% of Hazlenuts.
- Oregon’s Willamette Valley is responsible for producing over 95% of America’s Hazelnuts.
- Hazelnut Trees bloom and pollinate in Winter, and can keep producing their Nuts for several hundred years.
- Did you know there here was a time when the Hazelnut Tree was believed to be a magical Tree? A Hazel rod was used as protection against evil spirits.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL HAZELNUT CAKE DAY
- Did you know Hazelnuts are a superfood? Hazelnuts can lower cholesterol and help with the risk of heart disease to less stress.
- There are various kinds of Hazelnut Cakes available, including Chocolate Hazelnut Torte, Hazelnut Pear Cake, and many more.
- National Hazelnut Cake Day is a day for all, from kids to adults because Hazelnut Cake is just as much for parents as it is for kids because it is a wholesome family treat.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
