Autumn fruit par excellence, chestnuts have been present on our tables since time immemorial due to their low cost, high availability and high nutritional value. They certainly cannot be defined as a low-calorie food: nutritional values for 100g of raw chestnuts are: 165kcal, 36.7g of carbohydrates, 2.9g of proteins and 1.7g of lipids against 343kcal, 76.2g of carbohydrates, 6.1g of proteins and 3.7g of lipids of 100g of chestnut flour (CREA nutritional value tables).
On the other hand, chestnuts are very rich in potassium: we find 395mg in 100g of raw chestnuts and 847mg in 100g of chestnut flour. This important element participates in muscle contraction, including that of the heart muscle, contributes to the regulation of the balance of fluids and minerals inside and outside the cells (it fights the hateful water retention) and helps to maintain regular blood pressure. It is also very useful in feeding the elderly: reduces the risk of bone demineralization during aging, participates in the synthesis of proteins in the conversion of sugars into glycogen and activates the enzymes of energy metabolism. Potassium together with other mineral salts present in chestnuts: calcium, phosphorus and magnesium gives it a tonic, remineralizing power, recommended in convalescence, asthenia and particular moments of stress. The chestnut ideal for sportsmen because it contains slow-release sugars which translates into a more constant availability of energy throughout the day. The most present vitamins are vitamin C and those of group B: in particular the vitamin B2, useful for keeping the skin, liver and mucous membranes healthy and vitamin B3, which helps the nervous system and memory. Chestnuts are a good source of folic acid essential for cellular function and tissue growth. Also, it is essential in pregnancy for the correct development of the fetus and to avoid serious diseases such as spina bifida. Rich in fiber, roasted chestnuts contain 8.7g in 100g. These fibers are of two types: insoluble which help intestinal transit and soluble which absorb water and form a gel which helps fight constipation and lower cholesterol.
Chestnuts are a good one source of carbohydrates for people who do not eat gluten due to celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, special nutrition for autoimmune diseases or simply for those who follow a Paleo diet. Celiac disease is an increasingly frequent disease that can be established indifferently in all age groups. Gluten is the cause and after diagnosis it must be abolished immediately, for this reason people with celiac disease can no longer consume it even in minimal traces. Gluten is found in cereals: wheat, barley, spelt, rye, etc. but also in many products without these cereals but contaminated in the processing stages. Gluten-free products must have a special "gluten free" or "gluten-free" wording on the label, at this point it seems that the problem has been solved. Unfortunately, this is not the case: even if celiacs no longer have any difficulty in finding any substitute product, often among the ingredients of these products there are many sugars, additives and condensers; in fact, to replace wheat flour with something that gives the same consistency, ingredients that are not exactly healthy are used. In this case, chestnut flour can be a valid alternative for preparing pancakes with honey and cinnamon at home and thus satisfy the desire for goodies. I would like to point out that chestnuts are wild fruits that they grow in the woods or at most they are crops with very little or no use of chemicals and they have a huge advantage over other products of the earth that they have no residues of any kind. Reading the labels of the products we buy is essential to know what they contain and to make an informed choice.
Chestnuts have a significant content of polyphenols: gallic acid and ellagic acid. The metabolites produced by the intestinal microbiota from ellagic acid have chemopreventive activity against cancer, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties.
And now let's talk about some history: chestnuts are the fruit of the tree that belongs to the family of Phagaceae from the Latin name Castanea sativa. The edible part are the seeds enclosed within the "hedgehog" and here we can already make a distinction between chestnuts and marrons: up to three seeds in chestnuts and often only one seed as regards marrons. In Italy this tree has been present in its wild state for 60 million years, it underwent a regression in the last glacial period and then a new expansion around 1000 BC. During the Roman Empire it was even brought to Germany and Sweden as it was appreciated not only for its fruits but also for the wood used for example in viticulture for the construction of barrels and poles. In the Middle Ages it was the monks who spread fruit cultivation which guaranteed a not insignificant food source. Chestnuts are very nutritious and have allowed the survival of especially mountain populations who suffered from food shortages. It was not for nothing that the chestnut was called the "bread tree", in addition to its fruits it offered timber, bark, leaves and flowers. In the eighteenth century, brown had its moment of popularity even among the upper classes, from poor food it became a delicious sweet much loved by the ladies: the marron glacé that we all know. Over time, the cultivation of chestnuts decreased, mostly due to the movement of the workforce from the countryside to the industrialized cities and also due to the increase in cereal crops. Italy together with China is the main world exporter of chestnuts, but our product is clearly superior in terms of organoleptic properties and aesthetic characteristics which are typical of the European species Castanea sativa, different from the Chinese chestnut that it derives from castanea mollissima. Italian chestnuts are the best!
But how are they eaten? Definitely read or roasted. But with some distinctions. It is good to know that boiled ones are more digestible because the cooking of the starch is more complete, vice versa roasted ones contain more raw starch which can annoy the intestines in people prone to colitis. Galen also described this phenomenon as “windiness, swelling of the belly and headache”. Chestnut flour is very versatile in the kitchen and is the basis of castagnaccio, a sweet of peasant origin, with raisins, pine nuts and rosemary. But that's not all: with the flour you can prepare gnocchi, pancakes, creams and you can thicken soups. In sweet preparations instead of sugar we can use chestnut honey: dark, fragrant and with an intense flavor, it has antioxidant, emollient, antibacterial and nourishing properties for the hair. Dried or soft chestnuts are an excellent afternoon snack but in reality they can also be eaten raw if they do not cause aerophagia problems.
Chestnuts can be eaten in many different ways, but roasted chestnuts with a glass of red wine and good company are a moment of conviviality that must never be renounced.
Buon appetite
First&Food's suggestion
Restaurant "Il Vicoletto 1563"
by Ezio Gnisci
Piazza della Repubblica, 18/19
01039 – Vignanello (VT)
tel. 0761 754073 – cell. 339 5829713
ilvicoletto.1563@libero.it
www.ilvicoletto1563.it
Once upon a time, where the Il Vicoletto restaurant is today, there was a modest house which dates its birth to 1563, on the ground floor, on the square dominated by the Ruspoli Castle. which at the time was an isolated fortress. It is said that in 1723, Pope Innocent XIII. having gone to Vignanello to personally verify the progress of the restoration work on the Collegiate Church, wanted by Prince Ruspoli and his uncle Cardinal Marescotti, which today stands imposingly on the main square of the town with the Castle, he wanted to rest and took a seat in these rooms adjoining the collegiate church from where he could talk and watch the work on the facade.
Today that old house is the kingdom of a young but already appreciated chef, Ezio Gnisci, who in 2012 took over the local traditional restaurant that was housed there and, perhaps, ideally referring to that date "1563", proposed to make it a temple of quality cuisine, of respect and rediscovery of the food and wine traditions of this area of northern Lazio, a little out of the main connecting roads but for this very reason still able to offer atmospheres and flavors untouched by time.
Absolutely successful bet. In this beautiful room, small but very well-kept, dominated by wooden beams, jambs in period peperino stone, and an enormous fireplace which dominates the restaurant room, also in peperino stone, evidence of an illustrious past, Enzo Gnisci has implemented a strict 0 km policy embracing the principles of Slow Food, which under the motto of healthy, clean and fair, enhances even more all the experiences made, and has joined the "Cooks' Alliance Pact", a Slow Food project. His cuisine therefore constantly tries to offer flavors and combinations that do not distort the flavors of the past but, on the contrary, are its strong point. And his efforts have not gone in vain. In 2017 an extraordinary result: the Pamparito of Vignanello”, historic and typical bread, which includes salt, oil, wine and aniseed in its dough, becomes a national garrison protected and valued by slow food.
Reading his menu is like reading a map with ideal routes that lead to the territory of origin of the products. And the dishes, consequently, with great attention to seasonality, are ideal pleasant rest areas where you can stop and savor what... once passed through the convent and the territory. A few examples: Risotto with bacon seasoned with chilli, real toma cheese on borage cream; tagliolini with duck breast, artichokes and pecorino romano flakes; half egg spaghetti with white beef ragout and cave-aged caciocavallo flakes; pork fillet pocket with a goat's heart in a rosemary-flavored sauce served with baked potatoes and a mixed seasonal salad; ricotta flan and zucchini sautéed with thyme in a pamparito crust and drops of balsamic vinegar reduction with Millefiori honey from Tuscia. And here potatoes too have a face, a name and a company that produces them. Not only do you eat excellence but you also know what. And that's no small feat for a restaurant with very few seats and low prices.
Peasant soup of chestnuts and chickpeas
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE:
400 gr chickpeas from Valentano's straight furrow
150 g Vallerano dop chestnut
50 g Italian-style mince (celery, carrot and onion)
Juniper berries
Bay leaves
Sale
Extra virgin olive oil
