All about chestnut > a little history

Etymology: Old English “chesten” from the Latin “castanea”

History

From earliest history, chestnuts have been mentioned in ancient writings from China, Asia Minor and the Mediterranean region. Chestnuts were a staple food of the poor before the introduction of the potato and the breadfruit tree.

France

In the Cévennes region, locals nicknamed the chestnut the “bread tree” (not to be confused with the West Indian breadfruit tree.) It has been cultivated since the 11th century. Its wood, impervious to rot, was used in artisanal construction, for lumber and for making bowls. Leafy branches were used as animal feed and dry leaves as bedding for pigs. As food, chestnuts were part of all kinds of dishes - grilled (afachades), in soup (bajanat), in breakfast jam, or ground into flour to make bread and cakes.

In the Middle Ages, chestnuts were cooked in milk with a touch of vanilla and lots of sugar.

North America

Harvesting chestnuts in the fall was an important event in the lives of Native Americans who used them as a food source during the winter. They were usually ground into a powder using two stones or a wooden mortar. The flour was used plain, mixed with other foods or dissolved in hot water to make a coffee-like beverage.