Saturday, November 26, 2022

Autumn is chestnut time!




Autumn, is "el temp d'le castagne"... but also of festivals and romantic walks in the multicolored woods, perhaps in some beautiful chestnut grove, where the fall of reddish leaves alternates with that of hedgehogs, thorny semi-open caskets in granting the delicate fruit ... Chestnut trees are not made for people who are in a hurry, you need to "waste time" as for all important things; Maybe first admire them from afar, under the snow, or in late spring sit at their feet and smell the sweet scent of flowers, and then return in summer to enjoy the coolness of their shade, until participating in autumn in the great fruit festival. For many years, these humble fruits have represented an important nourishment, essential for the survival of our ancestors, so much so that, in lean times, even bread was made with chestnut flour. The woods, although inherited from generations lived in well-being, represent a strong emotional element and connection with their roots and their ancestors, of which the inhabitants of the valley are proud.
Today the chestnut is considered a delicious fruit of excellence, an indispensable ingredient of many autumn and refined desserts, celebrated in festivals.

Chestnuts are a typical fruit of the autumn season. Chestnuts are healthy and very nutritious, they have a water content of about 50% (10% dry), a caloric content of 200 kcal per 100 g (dry 350Kcal / 100 g), a good fiber content (7-8%), an excellent intake of sugary and starchy carbohydrates (about 35%), a fair content of quality proteins, a low percentage of fat (3 g / 1 hg), a high percentage of potassium, other mineral salts such as magnesium, calcium, sulfur and phosphorus. 
Finally, it has water-soluble vitamins (B1, B2, PP, C).

Chestnuts are very digestible if they are well cooked. Despite being similar to cereals such as barley or wheat on a nutritional level, chestnuts do not contain gluten. They are recommended in case of anemia and are a source of folic acid, whose intake is recommended especially for pregnant women. They contain phosphorus, which makes them a useful food for the nervous system. They are useful in convalescence, for example for the elderly and children after a flu, they also help to regularize the intestine.

They are quite caloric as a fruit, so they should be consumed in moderation, if used as a snack (the classic roasted chestnuts). However, we can use them to prepare real meals: with chestnuts you can prepare excellent soups. For example, you can roast chestnuts and then cook them in an herb vegetable broth together with your favorite vegetables. With boiled chestnuts you can prepare a useful puree to stuff stuffed vegetables. 
Both chestnut flour and boiled chestnuts are useful ingredients for the preparation of cakes and also biscuits.

 

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