Cheeky chestnuts

3 things you may not know about chestnuts

• They're the only nuts that contain vitamin C, and are also low in both fat and calories
• They're often thought of as a vegetable, because they have little oil and a high amount of starch
• The trees in Canada are monitored by the Canadian Chestnut Council, since the blight of 1904 killed off almost all our native groves

2 places to appeal to the chestnut nut

• The south of Spain, where Chestnut Day is celebrated in towns like Ronda, Nerja, Malaga and Cartajima with fresh chestnuts and anise liquor
• Corsica, where the chestnut tree is venerated. Take the Chestnut Week tour and sample chestnut polenta, beer and ice cream, while visiting producers and farmers of chestnut products throughout the region

3 ways to try chestnuts right now

• Soak them in red wine before roasting them, like they do in Modena, Italy
• Mash cooked chestnuts like potatoes and serve them with holiday turkey
• Use organic chestnut flour to make early bird chestnut pancakes

2 types of chestnuts to keep on hand

• Marron glacé, the French candied chestnut delicacy that involves 16 different cooking processes; serve it at Christmas and New Year's
• Liqueur de Châtaigne de l'Ardèche, a specialty chestnut liqueur of southern France that's hard to find, but worth the hunt

1 chestnut accessory to keep by the fire

• A chestnut pan, such as De Buyer's Chestnut Pan, or an antique chestnut shovel. Indulge in fresh roasted chestnuts as the snow drifts down on a winter's day

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