An Advocate for Hazelnuts - me in the 90s

From

Maria Lisak
MBA Candidate
Loyola University
New Orleans, LA

October 15, 1992

To
Hazelnut Growers Association
Oregon USA

Dear Hazelnut Champions,

I’m writing to you today not as a business student, but as a converted believer. I have just returned from backpacking through Europe after finishing my undergraduate degree, and I need to tell you something very important: Americans are being cheated. Yes—cheated, hoodwinked, and denied the sublime joys of the hazelnut.

Let me explain.

Somewhere between Italy and Scandinavia (maybe on a ferry between Germany and Norway?), I had a revelation. There I was, browsing the duty-free snacks, and I saw something that stopped me cold: hazelnut M&Ms. You read that right. Hazelnut. M&Ms.

I bought a bag, obviously. And friends, that was the beginning of a taste revolution.

This came after weeks of indulging in the creamiest noisette gelato across Italy, and watching young travelers spread Nutella across toast like it was religion. Meanwhile, back in the States, we’ve been indoctrinated with a single nut: the peanut. Don’t get me wrong—I’m a peanut fan. I grew up on PB&Js. I’d wrestle someone for a good Snickers bar. But let’s be real: hazelnuts are the superior nut. They're subtle, elegant, cosmopolitan. A nut for the 21st century.

Which brings me to my plea: hazelnuts deserve a seat at the American snack table. Where are the hazelnut candy bars? Where’s the domestic hazelnut butter? Why are we letting European youth hostels beat us in flavor innovation?

This is your moment. I urge the Hazelnut Growers Association to dream big. Advocate for your nut. Push for product placement, partnerships with candy makers, and equal footing in school lunch propaganda. Peanut lobbyists have had decades of dominance. It’s time for a nut coup.

I’m studying marketing and strategy right now, and I would be thrilled to brainstorm product ideas, market positioning, or even bumper sticker slogans (e.g., “Get Nutty – Vote Hazelnut!”).

Let’s give Americans more than just peanuts.

In hazelnut solidarity,
Maria Lisak
MBA Candidate and Lifelong Nut Enthusiast
New Orleans, Louisiana