by Ashley Caneva
In November of 2017, I tasted my very first roasted chestnut. It was my first visit to Italy and we were on a reconnaissance mission to evaluate Trieste as our potential future home. Between being travel weary and the stress of contemplating an international move with young children, the evening was off to a rather bleak start.
Cold temperatures, rain, and borino wind beat against the windows of the bus as we rode through the city trying to get our bearings in an unfamiliar place. Suddenly, I saw a warm glow on the side of the street. It was a roasted chestnut stall. I grabbed my husband’s hand and pointed excitedly. “Chestnuts! Let’s get off at the next stop!”
Chestnuts have never been part of my holiday experience. I had heard them mentioned in Christmas songs back home in Florida, but I had never had the opportunity to actually try one.
Once off the bus, we braved the cold to find the stall again. It may sound silly, but for me the scene was fairly idyllic. A drizzly, chilly night in Italy. Cool lights reflecting off the wet pavement surrounding this little wooden beacon of warmth with its inviting sweet and earthy smell.
I had never seen chestnuts roasting before, and I watched with wonder as the vendor expertly cut each one open before tossing it into the pan. My watching and waiting was soon rewarded with the pleasantly unique taste of the roasted nuts.
While the small paper bag of chestnuts was a more substantial snack than I had anticipated, it didn’t stop us from ordering a cioccolato caldo from a nearby cafe and warming up from the inside.
Now that I am experiencing my second holiday season as an Italian resident, I see what a large role chestnuts have played and continue to play in Italian cuisine. Chestnuts were once considered the food of the poor – and it’s no wonder! There are enough chestnuts (full of complex carbs, vitamin C, and even copper) on the ground in certain parts of the city to feed a small army!
Since living in Italy, I have sampled traditional pastries made with chestnut flour and even had chestnuts on pizza, but I think sweet, roasted chestnuts from a street vendor on a cold day will always be my favorite.
