I might lose my credentials without some clarification: Italians love nuts year-round, but when fall arrives, nuts take center stage. While not as romanticized as the autumnal grape and olive harvests, the variety and quality of nuts cultivated in Italy are just as impressive. It’s also safe to say they are as important to the Italian palette and culture as their vine and orchard counterparts. 

From tip to toe, Italy propagates heavy hitters such as pistachio, hazelnuts, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, and pine nuts. While these seem as much as part of the historic landscape as a vineyard, culinary forensics would reveal that all, save pine nuts, originated in Central Asia and found their way east via trade routes. Some, such as chestnuts and hazelnuts, took root earlier than others, but for all cultural purposes what we now consider Italian-origin nuts are some of the best and most prized in the world.