CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF HAZELNUTS (CORYLUS-AVELLANA L.) GROWN IN NEW-ZEALAND

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) samples were collected from all replica tions of six different cultivars of trees grown in an experimental orc hard at Lincoln University. Five cultivars were originally imported fr om overseas, three from the USA and two from Europe, and one cultivar was selected locally. Representative samples of nuts were harvested fr om 12-year-old trees in autumn 1995. The total oil content of the haze lnuts ranged from 54.6 to 63.2% while the crude protein ranged from 14 .3 to 18.2%. Dietary fibre ranged from 9.8 to 13.2% while the starch a nd free glucose content together made up no more than 5% of the remain ing portion of the kernel. The amino acid content of the hazelnuts was similar between each cultivar and the pattern of essential amino acid s was characteristic of a high quality protein.