ah, nuts!

When we first headed abroad, I had been sure to pick up some filberts, a.k.a. hazelnuts, at Springbrook Hazlenut Farm. I worked there a decade ago, but have never found better nuts. (Look for the roasted and salted, they're my favorites.) I bought two small bags and brought them along with us to Vietnam as gifts. Oregon grows a lot of filberts, so I thought "What better Oregon-thing to bring along?!"

We found out though, when we finally brought one out for Mrs Hanh, that they all know about them anyway. In fact, I just heard on the radio yesterday:

For decades, German chocolate makers bought the lion's share for use in candies.

But about 5 years ago, Germany was displaced as the world's number one consumer of hazelnuts. And now this year, the Germans are third, Vietnam is second, and China consumes more hazelnuts than any other country.

Whoda thunk? The little country of Vietnam is second in hazelnut consumption--more than the U.S.? So, what I'd hope would be a unique gift, flopped. But Mrs Hanh didn't like them salted, anyway, so we got to eat them all. A little taste of home. And now, I'm eagerly awaiting the annual opening of the nut stand on Hwy. 99.