If I was a squirrel I'd find my way to the Pacific Northwest...

...because they have the best hazelnuts! It's a good thing I'm already in the NW :) We recently tried two varieties from Holmquist Orchards @ the Phinney Farmer's Market, and we liked these unusually longer-than-normal ones. I was saving them to use for an occasion but they were so good that I could not resist the temptation of just chopping a few for my chocolate ice cream tonight. They are perfectly toasted and almost sweet tasting hazelnuts, like none I've tried before. So delicious, that now I really want to go visit one of these farms in Washington or Oregon, one of the world's major hazelnut producing regions ... just like how I always wanted to visit where cashews come from! ... for now I'll be forgetting the Nutella!



And, no I haven't forgotten mangoes ;)