Travelling through Turkey, it’s easy to think hazelnuts are just another tasty snack — until you realise they’re part of a story thousands of years old. Native to Anatolia, hazelnuts were being traded here as early as ~2000–1700 BC, long before modern roads, borders, or supermarkets even existed.
As you move north toward the lush green coastline of the Black Sea, the story really comes alive. Hillsides are covered in hazelnut orchards, often tended by families who’ve grown them for generations. Somewhere along the way, locals realised the misty air, steady rain, and mild temperatures were basically hazelnut paradise — and the region never looked back.
Over centuries, hazelnuts travelled from small coastal villages onto ships and out into the world. Today, that journey continues, just on a much bigger scale — meaning there’s a good chance the chocolate, dessert, or snack you eat back home started life on one of these green Black Sea hills.