Wintertime means chestnut time! In Ireland chestnuts are not as known, however you can find them in the stores during the winter season. The European chestnut mainly comes from Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. Boiled and included with a roast, “marrons glacées” or roasted, they are a delicious fruit for the cold winter time.
Chestnuts are fruits and opposed to real nuts they are very low in fat. They are high in vitamin C, magnesium and high in starch and sugar. Roasting them e.g. in the oven reduces their water content and increases their caloric value to 200 kcal per 100g because of the increasing sugar concentration. This explains the pleasant sweet taste of roasted chestnuts. Also chestnuts are high in fibre which is associated with positive health effects such as decrease in cholesterol levels, reduction of the risk of cardiovascular diseases, positive regulation of insulin response, increase in anticancer mechanisms and positive effects on metabolism of blood lipids and the intestine.
How to roast the chestnuts:
For 2 people:
Take about 2 handfuls of chestnuts. With a knife, cut open about 1cm of each chestnut shell.
Put on a tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes (depending on size of the chestnuts) at about 180°C. Enjoy J
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