A large cultivated variety of hazelnut that has an especially thick shell, native to southern Europe and cultivated in Europe and North America.
From 'cob' meaning rounded or lumpy (the nut's appearance) plus 'nut.' The specific cultivated variety became popular in medieval England.
Cobnuts were so prized in England that they became symbols of wealth—farmers could lease land for the right to harvest them, and children would go 'cobnudding' as a seasonal tradition similar to blackberry picking.
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