Chestnut


Even nowadays chestnut harvesting presents an important additional income in the Upper Brda region. It is baked in ember or in a special porous pan. Before baking it, we make a cut in the shell. When it is baked we wrap it in a cloth so that the inner shell comes apart and is thus easily peeled. Chestnuts can also be cooked and from them we can prepare delicious meals such as ‘potica’ (nut roll), minestrone, gruel, dumplings, ‘flancati’ (type of fried pastry),...

Thicker chestnut called maron’ was sold and exchanged for flour and corn in Friuli. Smaller one remained for domestic use. In late autumn months, chestnut was first knocked from trees with sticks. Women and children used to pick it up with wooden slips made of fresh hazel forked bough. It was carried in baskets or driven away with carts. Still fresh it was taken from its cupule and then sold. Chestnuts that remained in its cupule stayed fresh longer. Those already taken from its cupule were kept in the sand or dried on air.

Baked chestnut pairs nicely with young wine and must during the feast of St. Martin.