Hazelnut flavored coffees rank among the most popular flavored coffees in the market. The tradition of flavoring coffee with hazelnuts goes back many centuries. According to tradition, Alpine monks added crushed hazelnuts to their coffee to flavor it. Why did these monks choose hazelnuts and not another type of nut to do this? Hazelnuts were plentiful and economic as a flavoring agent.

Hazelnuts have been used in confectionary to make praline, something monks very likely made for themselves and their communities. Hazelnuts were also widely used by many people in combination with chocolate for truffles and other chocolate delicacies. Hazelnut oil, pressed from hazelnuts, has also been used as a consistently flavored oil in many dishes in many countries for a long time.

Hazelnuts offer health benefits when consumed by themselves or along with coffee. Hazelnuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fat, and also contain significant amounts of vitamin B1 (thiamine, thiamin), a soluble vitamin that reads enter and exit the body daily. Why not combine the powerful antioxidants in coffee with the healthy benefits of hazelnuts by munching a few tasty hazelnuts while enjoying a delicious cup of top grade specialty coffee? Even better, make it a cup or two of a hazelnut flavored coffee and get the full aroma and flavor of hazelnut without the "fuss" of grinding nuts and adding them to the coffee. Be sure to get freshly roasted-to-order gourmet coffee, "plain" or flavored, to enjoy with your healthy hazelnuts (the dark chocolate covered ones are especially good).

There are many combinations of coffee and hazelnut flavor available to coffee lovers. They are sold as whole bean or ground as well as regular or decaffeinated hazelnut flavored coffee choices. Some of the most popular hazelnut flavored gourmet coffee selections, all made from rich, top grade, 100 per cent Arabica bean specialty coffee include the following:

Vanilla Hazelnut: This coffee has the pleasant flavor of hazelnuts combined with vanilla. Vanilla is a very familiar and inexpensive spice. It is used primarily for flavoring and aromatic uses. Vanilla dates back to Mesoamerican times when the ancient peoples of Mexico used it in rituals. Nowadays, vanilla is cultured in many places around the world, including Mexico, Madagascar, and Indonesia. An interesting fact about the vanilla plant is that the vanilla flower is an orchid that produces a fruit. This fruit is the result of the pollination of the flower which is actually quite difficult for the vanilla plant. Why? Because the plant has both female and male organs which are naturally separated to prevent self-pollination. Natural Pollination is done by only one type of bee native to Mexico. In other places in the world where vanilla is cultured, pollination is done by hand or artificially.

Hazelnut Cream: Hazelnuts are very versatile and combine very well with cream. Together, they make a rich and wonderful flavor combination that does not overpower the natural aroma and taste of coffee. Nuts in general are great sources of natural proteins and rich in fiber, phytonutrients, vitamin E, and minerals, and hazelnuts are no exception. So with your gourmet hazelnut cream flavored coffee, have a few hazelnuts and enjoy the delicious benefits of both.

Hazelnut: This classic flavored coffee adds the flavor and fragrance of hazelnuts to gourmet specialty coffee. Before commercial roasting and flavorists made this combination possible, people would enjoy hazelnut flavored coffee with the bits of nuts in the cup, sometimes an uncomfortable drinking alternative. Now consumers can enjoy this wonderful flavored brew without the bits of nut in the cup and the mouth. This gourmet flavored coffee is delicious: rich 100% Arabica bean coffee and hazelnut aroma and taste.

Hawaiian Hazelnut: This gourmet flavored coffee mix has the "just right" amount of Hawaiian style hazelnut's wonderful aroma and flavor reminiscent of coconut and "paradise island." Like all flavored coffees, this is a calorie free coffee featuring the characteristic flavor and aroma of hazelnut with the flavorful, rich taste of specialty coffee. This is a cup worth tasting!

Cinnamon Hazelnut: This brew combines the vivid, smooth flavors of cinnamon and hazelnut with hand picked, top grade specialty coffee. It is really amazing to see how a fruit (coffee cherry), a nut of the hazel tree (hazelnut, also known as cob nut or filbert nut), and the bark of the cinnamon tree come together in a stupendous trio to deliver amazing flavor in one cup. The characteristic flavor and aroma of the cinnamon comes from a compound in the essential oil of the cinnamon tree bark called cinnamonaldehyde which is used for flavoring chewing gum, candy, beverages, ice cream among many other applications.

Chocolate Hazelnut: Chocolate and hazelnut are favorites along people of all ages and consumed year round. When their aroma and taste are added to coffee, the result is a fabulous flavored coffee that ranks at the top of the favorites. Chocolate is made of cocoa paste, cocoa butter and sugar. The cacao tree is a native of Central and South America, top specialty coffee growing regions. Chocolate, like coffee, has powerful antioxidants and good nutrients which create health benefits. Chocolate, coffee and hazelnuts are also known as "energy foods."

Chocolate Cinnamon Hazelnut: What happens when you bring together the flavor and aroma of the seeds of the fruit of the cacao tree with the cinnamon tree bark, the nut of the hazel tree and the cherry fruit of the coffee plant? Frankly, you end up with a flavored coffee that is second to none. This flavored coffee racks are very high in popularity among flavored coffee drinkers.

So now, are you ready to say "Aloha!" and enjoy a delicious cup of gourmet Hawaiian Hazelnut flavored coffee?