Good Food: La Tourangelle Roasted Hazelnut Oil
Eating healthy should still be delicious.
by Kate Malin
Oil milling is a long-established practice in villages across France. Traditionally, farmers gathered nuts that grew locally then roasted and pressed them at the village mill. Seeking to bring this rich history and craftsmanship to oil lovers in the United States, Matthieu Kohlmeyer moved to California and, with help from his family who sent along a traditional French hydraulic press and cast iron roasting kettles, he founded La Tourangelle. Using methods that have changed very little over the past 150 years, Matthieu and his team create an impressive array of expeller-pressed oils using California-grown nuts and seeds.
La Tourangelle began by producing walnut oils and soon expanded to avocado, sesame, pistachio and a host of other oils, all of which are certified non-GMO. Their Roasted Hazelnut Oil, a Finalist in the 2016 Good Food Awards, is a stellar example of the dedication and enthusiasm La Tourangelle’s team has for their craft. Only the best hazelnuts are selected, roasted by hand, pressed, and then lightly filtered before bottling. The oil produced is incredibly versatile and is great for baking, sipping, sautéing, or incorporating into dressings and sauces. In addition to being delicious, hazelnut oil is loaded with even higher amounts of omega 9 than olive oil as well as omega 6 and natural antioxidants.
La Tourangelle is a proud member of the Good Food Merchants Guild and a Finalist in this year’s Good Food Awards. The winners will be announced on January 15. Readers in the San Francisco area will have the chance to meet crafters, sample their products, and take home 80 of this year’s Winners by visiting the Good Food Awards Marketplace on Sunday, January 17. More information and tickets ($5) are available here. La Tourangelle Roasted Hazelnut Oil is available at latourangelle.com and in stores across the country.
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From her grassroots work at the Good Food Awards to her continued education at NYU’s Food Studies Master’s Program, Kate Malin brings an unparalleled passion for great food and good people.
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