Chestnuts

caseydog

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[Mod Edit: this post is copied over from another thread to form new topic. The next few posts have been moved over from that thread]

Chestnuts are very hard to find in the US. The American Chestnut tree once made up a quarter of the hardwood trees in the US. During the 20th century, Billions of them were destroyed by Chestnut Blight. They are still an endangered species here. When I was a kid in the 1960s, there were still some growing in a few areas of the country, but they are gone, too.

CD
 
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Chestnuts are very hard to find in the US. The American Chestnut tree once made up a quarter of the hardwood trees in the US. During the 20th century, Billions of them were destroyed by Chestnut Blight. They are still an endangered species here. When I was a kid in the 1960s, there were still some growing in a few areas of the country, but they are gone, too.

CD

I’m surprised by this, I had no idea it was so hard to find chestnut in the US.
Maybe you can buy them on line? And also the flour?
 
A flight ticket to Italy, buy chestnuts and come back, would be less expensive 😆

I would love to go back to Italy, but not for chestnuts. I have been to most of the popular cities in Italy, but not to Torino, which is where my family is from.

CD
 
I'm sure I could find them online -- for a price $$$.

CD
I can get them at the giant international market where I just bought my rib roast - I saw them at the entrance to the produce department last time I was there. I have no idea what they cost, though.

They're definitely a specialty item, though, and not easy to find here. I would suspect the ones I saw are imported.
 
There's chestnuts in all the stores here now, have been for at least a couple of weeks.

Maybe it depends where you live? Chestnuts (cooked in vac-pacs) are available all year round here and they are a first rate product. No additives, simply chestnuts.

Fresh chestnuts are seasonal (obviously). There is a big UK tradition of hot roast chestnuts being sold straight off the coals by street vendors. Its almost died out recently (sadly).
 
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Victorian hot roasted chestnut vendor:

35752


And a more recent (Oxford 2011)

35753
 
The ones I've seen are fresh in the produce department. I have no idea whether or not they are available cooked as I've never looked.
 
Elm trees were wipe out here by Dutch elm disease, but scientist developed new species of elms that are resistant to the disease -- I have one in my front yard.

But, I guess they haven't been able to do the same with chestnuts -- yet.

CD
 
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