Calorie content and composition of roasted chestnuts. Who will benefit from this dish, and who can harm. How to eat and cook it correctly. With such an impressive list of useful properties, it is not surprising that chestnut is used in folk medicine, and pharmacological preparations are also produced on its basis. For our country, the practice of treating this product is not traditional, however, in the regions of its natural growth, chestnut is known as an effective medicinal "drug". It is primarily used to treat varicose veins. However, it is also used to treat various inflammatory processes, diseases of the digestive system, gallbladder, rheumatic ailments, etc.
Note! Only edible varieties of chestnuts can be eaten, since inedible ones contain tannins in a concentration that is dangerous to humans. But for the treatment of certain diseases, inedible ones are often even more effective.
Contraindications and harm of fried chestnuts
However, even edible fruits have contraindications. There is a very fine line between the benefits and harms of roasted chestnuts. It is very important to understand that you should not abuse this product.
Unfortunately, often girls who are on a diet and find out that chestnuts are a low-calorie nut, begin to eat it in considerable quantities. However, a low-calorie nut is not equal to a low-calorie food. Still, its energy value is almost 250 kilocalories, and therefore it must be consumed in healthy quantities.
Otherwise, for a healthy person, there are no contraindications for the use of fruits. But if you have certain health problems, it is advisable to consult a doctor before introducing the product into the diet.
People suffering from severe diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems, as well as blood, should be especially careful when eating it. The product is completely prohibited for diabetics and for diseases that may be accompanied by bleeding.
Allergy sufferers, pregnant women, lactating women and children need to closely monitor the body's reaction when introducing chestnut into the diet. With individual intolerance to the components of the product, one or another unpleasant symptomatology may be observed.
Let's say it again! Inedible chestnuts cannot be eaten by everyone!
How to cook roasted chestnuts
In our country, they are not sold on every corner, but if you are traveling in Europe, you have probably seen street vendors for this delicacy. Of course, they sell it not all year round, but during the ripening season, which varies depending on the region, for example, in Turkey they can be tasted already in July, but in the Caucasus the fruits ripen only by the end of October.
On the streets, they are cooked on special braziers. However, if you have raw fruits in your hands, and you need to cook fried chestnuts at home on your own, a regular frying pan will do just fine.
The recipe is pretty simple, but let's break it down step by step:
- Cut the dark brown shell crosswise on each side - if you do not, they will begin to "explode" during the heat treatment.
- Place the chestnuts in the skillet to prevent dryness and cover them with a damp cotton cloth or napkin on top.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and not forgetting to moisten the napkin with water if it is dry.
- A sign of readiness is a bursting shell.
Remove the finished nuts from the pan, peel them - and that's it, you can eat it. How to eat roasted chestnuts? If you are trying the fruits for the first time, we advise you to eat them without any additives in order to understand what they are like.
Everyone describes the taste of fried chestnuts very differently, some say that it is not pronounced and somewhat resembles boiled potatoes, while others catch distinct sweet and nutty notes.
Well, when you have tasted the chestnuts, you can already pick up additives to your taste, which can be very different, from salt and vegetable oil to chocolate icing. In Europe, they simply adore nuts in sweet sauces!
Roasted chestnut recipes
These fruits can also act as an ingredient in a particular dish. Soups are prepared with them, meat and poultry are baked, they are used as a side dish in whole or pureed. Also prepared with chestnuts and desserts. In general, this is a very versatile product, and you can experiment with it in different ways, however, perhaps it is better to start with proven dishes.
Let's take a look at several uses in recipes for roasted chestnuts:
- Chestnut puree soup … Boil any broth (500 ml) in a saucepan, add chopped celery (1 stalk) to it. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the roasted chestnuts, bring the soup to a boil, then remove from heat, cool slightly and season with a blender. Heat butter (1 tablespoon) in a frying pan and fry the flour (1 tablespoon) in it, add it to the soup. Bring it to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, heat the cream (100 ml) and pour into the soup, bring to a boil again and remove from heat. Serve the croutons soup.
- Pork with figs … Cut pork (500 grams) into portions. Place in the marinade of dry white wine (250 ml), minced garlic (2 cloves), salt and pepper (to taste). The meat should be allowed to soak in the marinade overnight, if there is no time, at least an hour. Fry finely chopped onion (1 piece) in vegetable oil, add meat along with the marinade and any broth (250 ml) to it. Close the lid and simmer for an hour. Add chestnuts (2 handfuls), chopped figs (4 pieces) and orange zest (from half an orange), and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Pumpkin with chestnuts … Peel and seed the pumpkin (700 grams), cut into cubes about 2x2 centimeters. Chop the garlic finely (3 cloves) and coarsely chop the bacon strips (10-12 pieces). In a deep frying pan, heat the butter (50 grams), fry the bacon, add the pumpkin to it and simmer for 10 minutes. Add garlic, chestnuts (20-30 pieces), thyme (a couple of twigs) and water (2 tablespoons), simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Dessert Saint Germain … Mash chestnuts (80 grams) with a fork or simmer in a blender (you can add a little water if the blender does not take dry ones), add cocoa (1 tablespoon), sugar (3 tablespoons), vodka (2 tablespoons) and beat until creamy … Whip heavy cream (150 ml) separately and refrigerate. Also whisk the egg whites (2 pieces) separately until they become thick foam. First add cold cream to the chestnuts, then the whites. Stir well, transfer the dessert to the bowls and refrigerate for 2 hours. Garnish with berries and fruits when serving.
- Seven style chestnuts … Heat the butter (150 grams) in a skillet, add the chestnuts (600 grams) and sprinkle with sugar to taste. Cook, stirring constantly, the fruit should caramelize. This is the traditional French way of preparing chestnuts, as they are served with fresh pear slices and … fried sausages.
Now you know how to cook interesting and varied dishes from fried chestnuts. However, do not forget that you can eat them raw, while fresh fruits will be even more beneficial.
Interesting facts about chestnuts
In Geneva, for 200 years, there has been a tradition to celebrate the onset of spring at the moment when the chestnut tree growing near the cantonal government building blooms. Most often this event happens in March, but in 2002 the tree bloomed on December 29. But this is not the most paradoxical case. The most interesting situation was in 2006: the chestnut blossomed twice - the first time in March, and then again in October.
While it is the world's only low-calorie nut, it is also the only nut that contains vitamin C.
To many, chestnuts resemble the taste of potatoes, since the fruit contains a lot of starch. For the same reason, flour is made from it, from which you can cook various pastries. In the 4th century BC, the Romans grew edible chestnuts only to bake bread from them.
The largest chestnut is about 3000 years old, and its trunk circumference is almost 60 cm. This tree is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
In terms of nutritional properties, the nut is very similar to rice, and therefore it was previously called "rice growing on trees."
About 40% of edible fruits are eaten in China; in this country, chestnuts are traditionally baked in hot sand.
On the island of Corsica, chestnuts are illuminated in the church instead of Easter cakes and eggs.
Chestnuts explode if you cook them without making a cut in the shell, because there is moisture between the kernel and the shell, for the same reason corn explodes, turning into popcorn.
Glazed chestnuts are a classic Christmas dish in France.
Watch the video about roasted chestnuts:
This is an amazing product, the lowest calorie nut in the world. It is very useful and opens up ample opportunities in cooking. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to buy it in our country. However, if you succeed, be sure to try roasting the chestnuts and eating them separately or adding to some dish. But first, be sure to check if this product is contraindicated for you. And, of course, in no case experiment with the inedible chestnuts that grow in our country.
