Our History

Way back in 1897 my grandparents Lorenzo and Teresa, who came from Arguello, the smallest municipality in the Alta Langa, began the cultivation of hazelnut trees of the Tonda Gentile Trilobata "delle Langhe" variety here in Diano d'Alba.

The hazelnut was a very adaptable ingredient in the cuisine of the past. Using a press hazelnut oil was produced and used to dress all types of salads, pastas, risottos and cold meats.

For a long time, hazelnut oil was the only one used as a dressing in the Langhe. Its nourishing properties for the skin and hair were also very well known, many years before the widespread use of cosmetic creams and shampoos.

Then came industrial and agricultural development. For many years my father Pinotu and my mother Maria continued their work by also supplying Ferrero of Alba hazelnuts in their shell for the preparation of the famous Nutella.

Many products, such as hazelnut oil, flour, grains and hazelnut paste had fallen into disuse due to the convenience and practicality of delivering the shelled nut directly to Ferrero which has always been good for business.

My daughter Elisa, however, started to rethink this idea and began rediscovering the true flavours from out past.

In a small company laboratory, we decided to shell and toast the hazelnuts directly ourselves, and transform them into many products that come from the traditional gastronomic past of the Langhe.