Oil, hazelnut

Hazelnut oil is a pressed nut oil with a distinct toasted, nutty aroma, most often used as a finishing oil drizzled over salads, roasted vegetables, or desserts rather than for high-heat cooking, since its flavor and nutrients hold up best uncooked or over gentle heat. It's a common addition to vinaigrettes, baked goods, and pastry work where a rich, nutty note is wanted, and a small drizzle over roasted root vegetables or a bowl of soup can stand in for butter at the finishing stage.

Store hazelnut oil in a cool, dark place, or the refrigerator, and use it within a few months of opening, since nut oils turn rancid faster than more stable cooking oils like canola or olive oil. It's calorie-dense at 884 calories per 100g, so it's used in small amounts, a tablespoon is 14g and works out to about 124 calories with 100g of fat per 100g and no protein, carbohydrate, or sugar. Its standout feature is vitamin E, at 315% of the Daily Value per 100g, making even a light drizzle of this oil a concentrated source of that nutrient in an otherwise plain salad or vegetable dish, though because it's used in small amounts it isn't a substitute for an everyday cooking oil.