Roasting Chestnuts: A Guide to the Cherished Italian Holiday Tradition (2024)

When I was younger, my Nonna used to tell me about the wintertime in Italy – when people would stroll through town to buy roastedchestnutsfrom street vendors, stuffing them in their pockets straight from the fire, just to keep their hands warm, and then of course, to have something to snack on.

A little history

For Italians, roastingchestnutsis a deeply rooted tradition that goes back centuries.Chestnutsused to be a principal food source and valuable commodity, especially in places that were unsuitablefor cultivating grains. They grewchestnuttrees instead, and would groundthe chestnutsto make flour for baking bread and making polenta. Legend has it, Italy’s love affair withchestnutsfirst started as far back as Ancient Roman times, when they usedchestnutsas a form of currency and trade, especially when there were less crops due to poor weather, resulting in famine.Chestnutswere a staple for the poor man's diet, so they relied onthemas one of their main sources of energy. Slowly over time,theyevolved from an everyday food to a delicacy.Chestnutspaired with wine have become a traditional food combination associated with the harvest period. Theyare available from September through February, and mostchestnutsfound in America are imported from Italy, where they are easily found in many local food markets or Italian grocery stores, just in time for the holidays! Chestnuts are a popular staple during this time of the year all over Italy, especially in Tuscany and Central Italy, where you'll find vendors selling roastingchestnutsin the middle of piazzas and squares.

Italian American traditions

Even today, Italian-Americans carry on the tradition of ending holiday meals with “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and a glass of wine. The smell of roastedchestnutson a cold late Autumn-Winter day is enough to fill your soul with pleasure. It is one of my most memorable smells of Christmas. Roastedchestnutsand espresso with sambuca wafting under my little nose as a kid at the dining room table overflowing with desserts. At the end of a big traditional Italian-American Thanksgiving or a Christmas feast, chestnuts are always served – along with clementines, lupini beans, fresh fennel,trays of homemade baked cookies, a box of Italian pastries from our local bakery, espresso, and of course, my father's finest bottles of sambuca, grappa and cognac. My dad always brought a bag of fresh importedchestnuts home,that he sold in his Italian deli back in New York. At the end of our Thanksgiving feast and our Christmas dinner, till this day, my dad brags and raves about how fresh and beautiful the batch ofchestnutshe brought home this year are, but then he always gets mad if there's one that’s gone bad. And there is always that one rottenchestnutin the bunch.

How to pick and store them

When shopping at your local food market, the key is to examine and lightly squeeze eachchestnut. They should have a shiny brown exterior without any blemishes or mold, and they should feel firm with a slight give. Becausechestnutsare somewhat perishable, you must pay close attention to their condition when selecting them.If you are in the New York City / Westchester County area, imported Italianchestnutscan be found at the Restaurant Depot, any local Decicco Market, Stew Leonard's, or the Italian market on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.They should be stored in a cold, dry and moisture-free environment, like on the shelf in your basem*nt or in the produce drawer in your fridge.

They are good for you

Chestnutsare different from other traditional nuts and contain less fat, while also being richer in vitamins and minerals. As far as their starch content, chestnuts resemble potatoes and corn, which is why they spoil a lot faster than other nuts and must be treated like potatoes. In fact,chestnutshave twice as much starch as a potato and are called the"bread tree" in Italian,which is why communities in mountainous and forested areas in Italy relied onchestnutsas one of their main sources of carbohydrates.

Chestnuts in cooking

Chestnutsare earthy and sweet with a soft, buttery, and meaty texture. It's like a dry baked potato, but its sweet nutty flavor resemblesa sweet potato.Chestnutsare used in many different ways. They can be milled into flour for bread, cakes, pastas, or polenta. They are used to thicken soups and sauces. They can be candied or puréed and sweetened for desserts. They are used to makefritelli (fritters), and they are also used as a substitute for potatoes in stews. Many Italian-Americans incorporatechestnutsinto their Thanksgiving stuffing.

How to roast chestnuts

The best way to enjoychestnutsis to simply roast them. They are delicious eaten hot straight from the oven, as soon as you can peel them without burning your fingers. Traditionally in Italy, street vendors roastchestnutsover a wood-burning roaster, which gives them a lovely smokey taste. A huge round pan with a perforated bottom is roasted over the hot coals. Once thechestnutsare done roasting, they are placed in a large wooden barrel padded with a thick blanket to keep them warm for as long as possible. Italian-Americans continue the same tradition when roasting and servingchestnutsfor the holidays. My family has been roastingchestnutsthe same way for years. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut a small X on the rounded side – the "belly" side. And as my mom warns me every year, don’t penetrate the skin too deep – only just enough to cut through the first and second skin. This is done to remove the internal pressure while cooking and makes it easier to remove the skin once they are roasted. Then thechestnutsare spread on a baking sheet placed on the middle rack of the oven, set on low broil and roasted for about 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. It is important to keep a close eye on them as they roast. About halfway through cooking, turn eachchestnutover. Be sure to shake the pan a few times while they are roasting to prevent them from burning. Don’t be alarmed if you hear a loud "pop" while they are roasting – even if you open them slightly beforehand, you can always end up with an unruly one! The skin should curl open and turn a few shades darker in color. It's best to always taste-test one to make sure they are cooked to perfection! Give it the old “juggle” between each hand and “blow on it trick” before you peel one open, so you don’t burn your fingers, especially since they will be piping hot straight out of the oven. The flesh should look golden-brown once done. Once roasted, my family traditionally serves it in the same breadbasket my Nonna used years ago at their first Christmas here in America, lined with one of her old cotton kitchen towels. Be sure to cover and tuck them in well with a cotton cloth and allow them to sit for a couple of minutes, keeping them nice and warm before serving. But don't wait too long, because the cooler they get, the harder they are to peel open, so be sure to eat them nice and hot!