Wholesale high-quality hazelnut products

Hazelnuts are healthy and varied, and they enhance many recipes as a delicious ingredient. August Töpfer & Co. offers you a wide selection of hazelnut products for use in the food industry.

Products made from hazelnuts

Hazelnut kernels are incredibly popular thanks to their fine taste and can be processed into many different products. Hazelnuts are an essential ingredient, particularly for confectioners, bakers and producers of sweets. You can find the whole spectrum of hazelnut products – many of which are also available in certified organic quality – in the range available at August Töpfer & Co.

Besides ground, chopped, roasted and whole blanched kernels, we also offer specialities including brittle, hazelnut pastes and gianduia, a dark nougat made from hazelnuts. When sourcing and processing our goods, we rely on extensive experience, trusting partnerships and close communication with customers and suppliers. With high standards and regular checks, we ensure that you can count on top quality and reliable delivery for your hazelnut products.

Origin and cultivation of hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are the fruits of the hazelnut shrub, which can be found in many gardens in Germany. The plant grows in broad swathes of Europe as well as in parts of Asia and North America. The most important cultivation regions of hazelnuts for the wholesale and retail trade are in Turkey as well as in Italy, France, Spain, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Chile and the USA. The Black Sea coast in Turkey is considered the original home of the hazelnut. Hazelnuts have been consumed by humans for a very long time. In China, evidence of hazelnut consumption has been found dating back as far as 2838 BC. The nuts grow out of the pollinated flowers; they are small and surrounded by a streaked, light brown, woody shell. The fruit pulp is white, but encompassed in a natural, thin, brown skin. Depending on the variety, location and weather conditions, the harvest time for hazelnuts lies between August and October.

Use of hazelnut products

August Töpfer & Co. has many years of extensive experience in sourcing and distributing high-quality hazelnut products. We maintain trusting relationships with our suppliers in the countries of origin. Our hazelnuts are sourced throughout Black Sea region as well as all other relevant cultivation regions. As a result, we offer all varieties of the nut. Moreover, we have a representative office in Ordu – the heart of the Turkish hazelnut growing region. This enables us to keep our finger on the pulse regarding harvest, the raw materials and the economic conditions in the region and offer our customers the best possible service. Like almonds and coconut products, hazelnuts and hazelnut products are commonly used in the food industry. They provide flavour and consistency to muesli and cereals, cakes, baked goods, confectionery and ice cream and they are used to decorate desserts in the form of brittle. Hazelnut paste and mousse, nougat and praline products are popular as a creamy filling in confectionary products or as an ingredient in sweet spreads.

Hazelnuts: An excellent source of nutrients

Besides healthy unsaturated fatty acids, hazelnuts also contain essential fibre and a high amount of protein. What’s more, significant quantities of magnesium, folic acid, potassium, zinc and niacin as well as various other minerals and vitamins are present in hazelnuts and hazelnut products. Due to the high content of lecithin, hazelnuts are considered good nutrition for the nervous system and can even improve mental performance.

They help strengthen the immune system and digestion as well as protect cells. Like all nuts, hazelnuts are also known for being rich in calories. At 636 kilocalories per 100 grams, hazelnuts are not exactly a light snack, but regular consumption is recommended for the numerous health benefits. Enjoyed in moderation, hazelnuts contribute towards a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

The variety of hazelnut products

Hazelnuts are highly versatile and ideal for further processing. Depending on the application and nature of preparation, our hazelnut products are used both raw and as roasted hazelnuts.

Hazelnut kernels

At August Töpfer & Co., you can find all manner of hazelnuts with various degrees of processing. In addition to untreated and blanched kernels, our range also includes chopped, ground, roasted and flaked varieties for use in baked goods, cereals and healthy snacks. You receive a high-quality product ideally tailored to your needs.

Hazelnut paste

Hazelnut purees and hazelnut pastes have become increasingly popular in recent years. Vegetarians, vegans and health-conscious people in particular use the aromatic products as a spread, an ingredient in smoothies and cereals or for further processing into energy balls and fresh desserts. In order to manufacture hazelnut products, either fresh or roasted kernels are gently ground until the natural oils are released and a creamy paste is obtained. If a layer of oil subsequently forms on the surface during storage, this is not a sign of low quality but a normal process. Depending on the recipe, many hazelnut pastes also contain other ingredients such as cocoa, sugar, oils, spices or milk components. These products containing hazelnut are popular as a sweet, spread or addition to homemade desserts and pralines.

Gianduia hazelnut products

The exotic-sounding gianduia refers to the dark variety of nougat and has nothing in common with white nougat beyond its name. To make gianduia nougat, hazelnuts are roasted and ground – much like in the production of hazelnut paste. For a more intense flavour and a particularly creamy consistency, additional ingredients are added to the product including icing sugar, cocoa butter and other plant-based fats, milk powder and ground nut brittle. Gianduia owes its existence to a financial emergency: in order to bypass high customs duties on cocoa during the Napoleonic era, French chocolate manufacturers combined it with ground hazelnuts, thus inventing the type of nougat that is highly popular today.

Hazelnut brittle

Brittle refers to chopped and typically roasted nuts of 1-4 mm that are made particularly crispy by combining with caramelised sugar. Depending on the manufacturer, application and degree of hardness, it contains honey or varieties of syrup as well as different types of dried fruits. For the production of hazelnut brittle, sugar is melted and caramelised before the chopped nuts are stirred in. The resulting mass is dried and then crushed. Brittle is suitable as decoration for desserts and baked goods and gives confectionery a certain crunchiness.

Hazelnut praline grains / paste

Our range of hazelnut products also include 1-3 mm praline grains – a delicious combination of sugar and roasted nuts. After caramelising, the sugar and nut mixture is finely ground until a creamy texture is achieved (depending on the production process). Praline paste is available as a paste (max. 50% sugar) and adds an incredibly decadent flavour to confectionery thanks to the intense aromas from roasting and the very dark caramelised sugar. Combined with cocoa, this hazelnut product is ideally suited to dark ganache, praline fillings and ice cream. Moreover, this product is also used by industry to cut out additional production steps.

Our hazelnut products are certified:

Our services as wholesaler

We are one of the leading importers of sugar products, dried fruits, seeds and nut kernels. Put your trust in a wholesaler with decades of experience and benefit from the highest quality, punctual delivery and a service that always prioritises you and your requirements. Besides the sale of our hazelnut products, we also offer additional services as a comprehensive provider: our customers receive reliable import, storage, packaging and logistics services from a single source. Most of our goods are inspected and packed at our location in Hamburg, from where they are then sent on to you.

Our customer base includes leading European retailers and discounters as well as companies in the confectionery industry. Our staff are active in the federal association of wholesale and international trade in dried fruits and nuts, Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse e. V., and in the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC). August Töpfer & Co. also currently provides the Ambassador for Germany for the International Fruit & Dried Nut Council.

Do you have any further questions about our hazelnut products or the rest of our range? Our team will also be happy to provide you with an individual offer.