NUTELLA TREES

Nutella trees...miles and miles and miles of Nutella trees...every road we choose, every drive in the country is lined with groves of trees that will shed tons of hazelnuts this fall. These nuts will find their way into biscotti and Baci, cakes, desserts and gelato (nocciola is my favorite), local specialty jams and liqueurs. But the most important job of these nutty little gems is to find their way to the Nutella factory, where they will be crushed and mashed and mixed and blended with chocolate in some magical, mystical Willy Wonka-ish way to create one of the world's most wonderful foods. Nutella, that decadent spreadable chocolatey-hazelnutty, eat-it-out-of-the-jar gift from Heaven, starts right here in our own back yard. We are surrounded by vast groves of hazelnut trees, lush and full, producing endless jars of deliciousness.

Little did I know of Nutella a mere 10 years ago, when for the first time I witnessed an Italian mamma on a Calabrian beach feed her children what appeared to be “chocolate sandwiches”. The woman was a family friend, so I didn't feel too embarrassed to ask her about this spreadable chocolate in a jar.

“You don't know Nutella?” she asked, stunned.

Since that moment on a hot Ionian beach, I have become intimately familiar with Nutella. I have baked with it, spread it on crepes, dipped strawberries into it, drizzled it on ice cream and of course, eaten it straight from the jar. I have, so far resisted buying one of those gallon jars sold in the Autogrills. They are a devilish temptation.

We are looking forward to participating in the hazelnut harvest. Just about everyone we've met has a grove or knows someone who does. “Will work for Nutella!' There will no doubt be Feste delle Nocce in many of the towns around the region to celebrate the harvest of this important regional treasure. These hills are alive with Nutella Trees!!!