Giresun Hazelnut Paste Product Description and Distinguishing Features: Giresun Hazelnut Paste, produced in the form of sweet hazelnut paste, is made using geographically certified Giresun Tombul Hazelnut (number 31), Giresun Sivri Hazelnut (number 455), and Giresun Kalınkara Hazelnut (number 456). Giresun Hazelnut Paste is produced by mixing roasted hazelnuts with powdered white sugar obtained from sugar beets in specific proportions during the production process. Due to the hazelnuts used in production being in the form of particles with a diameter of 4-6 mm, the paste retains noticeable hazelnut particles when consumed. In the past, Giresun Hazelnut Paste was traditionally produced by grinding or pounding roasted hazelnuts with powdered sugar and forming it into a paste called "merdane." However, with industrialization, the production process has become more industrialized. Production Method: Harvested in-shell Giresun Tombul Hazelnuts, Giresun Sivri Hazelnuts, and Giresun Kalınkara Hazelnuts are separated from their shells in processing plants. Natural inner hazelnuts that are rotten, wrinkled, or defective (such as those with insect holes or incomplete development) are separated. The remaining hazelnuts are roasted in ovens. The brown skins of the hazelnuts roasted between the double-roasted layer and the inner hazelnuts naturally separate after the roasting process. The roasted hazelnuts should have a moisture content between 1.8% and 2.5%, and 5/4 of their skins should be separated. The first grinding process of the roasted inner hazelnuts is carried out using a mincer with an 8 mm diameter perforated mirror. Simultaneously, white sugar made from sugar beets is transformed into powdered sugar ranging between 40-60 microns in the grinding machine. Packaged powdered sugar tends to clump due to humidity and does not penetrate the hazelnut sufficiently. Therefore, powdered sugar should be ground from white sugar during hazelnut paste production. No sweeteners or additives other than powdered sugar obtained from white sugar are used in the production. In the second grinding process, 70% of hazelnuts and 30% of powdered sugar are mixed and ground in a mincer with a 4 mm diameter perforated mirror. During the second grinding process, the natural oil in hazelnuts is released, powdered sugar penetrates the hazelnuts, and the mixture reaches a dough-like consistency. The hazelnut particles in the Giresun Hazelnut Paste formed after the second grinding process range between 4-6 mm.