Chestnuts: More than Just a Song Star

Went to a cooking class at The Southern Season in Chapel Hill, NC with my parents last weekend to learn how to prepare a fabulous vegetarian holiday dinner.  One of my favorite dishes (which I will be making to share with you this weekend) was a Creamy Chestnut Soup.  YUM!

And of course, it made me realize that while I always hear the name of chestnuts bandied about during the holidays, I really don't know much about them other than their propensity for being roasted on an open fire.  So here's a little bit about that holiday classic.

CHESTNUTS

Chestnut trees are deciduous and like the temperate climates found above the equator.  A chestnut tree refers not only to the nut, but to the tree itself which tends to be cultivated as much for its lumber as for its produce. Chestnuts are found predominantly in Europe, Asia, and North America and, by way of its early European settlers, in southwest Australia (which while not above the equator is temperately similar).

Interestingly enough, because chestnuts have a low oil content and a high fiber content, they are treated more as a vegetable than a nut.  They can be eaten raw but are very astringent in taste and should be boiled or roasted (there's that open fire again) to get the best taste from them.

Being soft and sweet, chestnuts also lack that crunch factor associated with other nuts.  Once cooked the texture of the chestnut is similar to a baked potato but a little mealier with a sweet nutty flavor that's very appealing.  Personally, I like them much better mixed in with something, thought I doubt you would ever have a reason to serve them as a stand-alone item.

Because chestnuts are low in fat, low in protein, and high in carbs they have been used throughout European culinary history as a substitute for potatoes and wheat in areas that were either unable to grow them or had a limited supply of them.  Chestnuts can be dried and then ground into flour and used as such to bake into cakes, fry into doughnuts, or thicken up a stew.

Chestnuts can also be steamed, grilled or candied and are often used in holiday cooking as a stuffing ingredient.  Like other nuts, chestnuts work really well in either sweet or savory dishes.  So if you haven't tried them out before, give them a chance, I think you'll find them very versatile and likeable.

Hope that you all have a wonderfully homebaked happy, kitchen-safe, gut-busting Thanksgiving holiday!