Nocciola Montalbano
Elenka product code 1184
A pure hazelnut paste made from Sicilian nuts grown in the Nebrodi mountains, with no added flavourings. It is the Sicilian answer to the Piedmont hazelnuts that dominate the category, and it tastes noticeably different from them — which is the reason to carry it.
Specification sheets are supplied to trade customers on request.
About Nocciola Montalbano
Hazelnut in gelato means Piedmont to most of the industry, and for good reason. Montalbano is the argument that it does not have to.
What it is
A pure hazelnut paste made from Sicilian hazelnuts grown in the Nebrodi mountains, along the island's northern coast, with no added flavourings. Elenka is a Palermo company and this is the hazelnut from its own territory, which is a different thing from a house alternative to a premium import.
How it tastes against a Piedmont paste
Rounder and a little sweeter, with less of the dry, austere finish that characterises the Piedmont varieties, and without their particular aromatic length. That is a real difference rather than a marketing one, and it changes which build it suits.
Montalbano works where hazelnut has to be pleasant and immediate — a plain tub, a gianduia, a hazelnut and chocolate build. Piemonte I.G.P. works where hazelnut has to be admired. If your cabinet already runs one, the other is a genuine second flavour rather than a duplicate, and the two side by side is one of the more interesting things a gelateria can do with a nut.
In the mix
Eighty grams per litre of finished mix. That is the same dosage as Laurus and considerably less than Piemonte I.G.P. at 120, which reflects intensity rather than quality — a restrained flavour needs more of itself in the mix to register.
As with any pure nut paste, the fat arrives with the flavour. Expect a softer set and a slower melt, and recalculate rather than substituting into a recipe built around a compound paste that was also contributing sugar.
Pail size and turnover
At 5.5 kilograms and 80 grams per litre, one pail is about 68 litres of finished gelato. That is a permanent-line quantity, not an occasional-special one. Nut oils oxidise with standing time, so match the pail to the turnover rather than to the price per kilogram, and stir it from the bottom before every use.
A note on the code
The Australian list carries this as 1184; the 2026 catalogue carries the same product description as 1247. We have asked Elenka to confirm they are the same SKU. Everything on this site is keyed on the code, so a mismatch is worth resolving rather than assuming past.
What we do not publish
Ingredients, allergens, shelf life and storage conditions are absent from this page because no Elenka specification sheet is held for the Australian range. Absent means the data is not held, never that the answer is no. Hazelnut is a declarable tree nut in Australia and the obligation falls on the business serving the customer.
Technical specifications
| Recommended dosage | 80 g per litre of mix |
|---|---|
| Format | 5.5 kg pail |
| Applications | gelato, semifreddo, mousse, pastry cream |
| Elenka product code | 1184 |
Full specification on request
The ingredient list, allergen declaration, shelf life and storage conditions for Nocciola Montalbano are provided on the Elenka specification sheet. We supply it on request — please do not rely on the product name when answering a customer allergen enquiry.
Related products
Nocciola Piemonte I.G.P.
A hazelnut paste made only from certified Piedmont I.G.P. hazelnuts, gently toasted and milled with no added flavourings. It is the most restrained hazelnut in the range and the most expensive, and it is dosed higher — 120 grams per litre of mix — precisely because it is restrained.
Code 9145.5 kgNocciola Laurus
The intensely roasted end of Elenka's hazelnut range: dark in colour, robust in flavour and unmistakably hazelnut from the first spoonful. Dosed at 80 grams per litre of mix, it is the paste that holds its ground in a variegated or chocolate-forward tub.
Code 4865.5 kgGianduia Messina
A Sicilian reading of gianduia, the hazelnut-and-chocolate pairing usually associated with Turin. The dosage range of 100 to 150 grams per litre of mix is the useful part: it lets one pail produce a restrained gianduia or a chocolate-forward one without any other change.
Code 11853 kgArachide
A peanut paste made from skilfully toasted peanuts, dosed at 100 grams per litre of mix. Peanut is the nut Australian customers already know best and the one almost no gelateria carries, which is the entire commercial argument.
Code 5562.5 kg
Frequently asked questions
How does Sicilian hazelnut differ from Piedmont hazelnut?
Nebrodi hazelnuts give a rounder, slightly sweeter and less austere flavour than the Piedmont varieties, which are prized for aromatic length and a drier finish. Neither is better; they are different enough that a customer who likes one may not prefer the other.
Does it contain added flavourings?
Elenka states that this paste contains no flavourings. We publish no ingredient declaration because no specification sheet is held for the Australian range — request one and we will obtain it.
Why do the codes differ between documents?
The Australian list carries this product as 1184 and the 2026 catalogue as 1247. We believe they are the same product and have asked Elenka to confirm, because everything on this site is keyed on the code.