Nutural World Hazelnut and Carob Spread has two varieties – smooth, and crunchy. Both the Smooth and the Crunchy varieties are made of 94% highest quality hazelnuts with the addition of 6% carob powder. The hazelnuts are lightly roasted and stone-milled to preserve their great taste and aroma. The two varieties differ in texture only. While the Smooth contains only the paste of grounded hazelnuts and the carob, the Crunchy is mixed with bits of broken hazelnuts, which gives it the desired “crunchiness”. Each jar contains 170g.
Culinary Use
Nutural World Hazelnut and Carob Spread is a chocolate-like spread – without the chocolate. It is invariably compared to and is associated with the famous Nutella spread, due to the hazelnut content and dark colour, but it contains very different ingredients (see comparison table in the pictures). Whilst only mildly sweet, considering that it contains just 5% of sugar from the carob fruit, it is amazingly tasty. Comments from early customers have been phenomenal, and it has swiftly become a best seller wherever it has been introduced. Tasting is believing!
Health Benefits
Nutural World Hazelnut and Carob Spread combines the health benefits of two great nutritional sources: Hazelnut Butter and Carob.
Hazelnut butter
Wikipedia states the following health benefits of Hazelnut Butter: Hazelnut Butter is high in mono-unsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, shown to play a role in reducing the adverse effects of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Hazelnut butter is also a good source of dietary protein and vitamin E.
Another online source claims the following benefits associated with eating hazelnuts:
- Hazelnuts are very high in energy and loaded with numerous health-benefiting nutrients that are essential for optimum health. 100g nuts provide 628 calories. The nuts are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic as well as essential fatty acid, linoleic acid that helps lower LDL or bad cholesterol and increase HDL or good cholesterol. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet that is plentiful in mono-unsaturated fatty acids help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favouring healthy blood lipid profile.
- These nuts are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals and packed with numerous health promoting phyto-chemicals. Altogether, they help protect from diseases and cancers.
- Hazelnuts are exceptionally rich in folate, which is a unique feature for the nuts. 100g fresh nuts contain 113µg; that is about 28% recommended daily intake of this vitamin. Folate is an important vitamin that helps prevent megaloblastic anemia and most importantly, neural tube defects in the newborn. Good news for expectant mothers!
- Hazelnuts are an excellent source of vitamin E; contain about 15g per 100 g (providing 100% of RDA). Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.
- The nuts, like almonds, are free from gluten and therefore, are safe alternative food sources that can be used in the preparation of gluten-free food formulas for gluten-sensitive, wheat allergy, and celiac disease patients.
- The nuts are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), and folates.
- They are a rich source of minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Copper and manganese are essential co-factors for anti-oxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron helps prevent microcytic-anemia. Magnesium and phosphorus are important components of bone metabolism.
- Hazelnut oil has a nutty aroma and has excellent astringent properties. It helps to keep skin well protected from dryness.
Carob
Carob was used as a source of food since ancient times. There is ample online information about it – here is just one example.
Here is a condensed list of the nutritional values associated with carob:
- Carob tannins contain Gallic acid that works as an analgesic, anti-allergic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral and antiseptic.
- Carob improves digestion and lowers cholesterol level in the blood.
- It is used for treating diarrhoea in children and adults alike.
- Since it does not contain caffeine, carob benefits people with high blood pressure.
- Regular use of carob helps in preventing lung cancer.
- The vitamin E content in carob helps in treating cough, flu, anemia, and osteoclasis.
- The Gallic acid in carob helps in preventing and treating polio in children.
- Carob fights against osteoporosis, due to its richness in phosphorus and calcium.
- Carob pod husks are chewed by singers to clear the voice and throat.
Allergies
Nutural World Hazelnut and Carob Spread is made in a peanut-free environment, and thus is completely safe for those with a peanut allergy. However, Nutural Worldproduces other seed and nut based products, and while every effort is made to separate the production lines it cannot guarantee that the product is free of traces of other seeds and nuts.
Vegans and the Manufacturing Process
Nutural World Hazelnut and Carob Spread is made of 100% hazelnuts and carob powder, and thus is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The hazelnuts are lightly roasted to enhance their taste and bring out their delicate aromas. The milling process uses traditional stone-based mills and not high-speed rotating blades to generate the most uniform paste and keep the temperature during the milling process to the lowest possible.