Chestnuts offer a wide variety of nutrients. They also have a high calorie count. Therefore, it’s important to avoid consuming too many at once. Choosing and storing chestnuts is crucial.

Chestnuts are often used in various desserts, such as the famous Mont Blanc, which uses a large amount of chestnut paste. The chestnut’s shell resembles a hedgehog, densely covered with spines. These natural “protective devices” serve as protection against predators. As autumn and winter arrive and the chestnuts ripen, the shell automatically cracks open, revealing the delicious fruit within!

How to Choose and Store Chestnuts

Chestnuts offer a diverse nutritional profile, including starch, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and a wealth of folic acid. However, chestnuts are a nut and seed, so they are high in calories, containing 264 calories per 100 grams. Therefore, be careful not to consume too much.

When purchasing chestnuts harvested in season, the prickly outer shells are usually removed, leaving only the shelled chestnuts. When choosing chestnuts, it’s best to choose chestnuts that are harvested fresh in season.

If purchasing chestnuts with shelled flesh, be careful to avoid those with flesh that is too white or too golden. Avoid buying chemically treated chestnuts. Fresh, shelled chestnuts don’t need to be washed beforehand; just store them in a cool, well-ventilated place!

Homemade Mont Blanc, chestnut chicken soup, and chestnut roast chicken

Cook the chestnuts and add fresh cream and other ingredients to make a chestnut puree. This puree can then be used to make desserts like Mont Blanc, chestnut cake, and chestnut tart.

To make chicken soup, add a few shelled chestnuts to the simmer to enhance the flavor. Alternatively, use shelled chestnuts to make delicious homemade chestnut roast chicken. The sweet and salty sauce goes well with rice, and the soft, cooked chestnuts are even more delicious!