Chestnut

Chestnuts are the seed of the chestnut tree, of which there are quite a few varieties. Chestnut trees are found in many temperate regions and grow wild in much of Europe, where their name, from the Greek word kastanéa, changes depending on location; it is kastanjer in Sweden and castagne in Italy. The spectacular European sweet chestnut tree (not to be confused with the American variety, which produces a much smaller nut) is a great ornamental and shade tree growing up to 100 feet (30 m) tall. These trees are part of the landscape all over northern Europe. In the springtime, they are covered with clusters of yellowish flowers, which later become spiny burrs, each containing up to three nuts. The chestnuts that are sold for cooking, either fresh in the fall and winter or canned in sugar syrup or water throughout the year, are the European variety. For some reason, chestnuts are utilized much more in cooking all across Europe than in the United States, where they still seem a bit underrated (with the exception of a brief burst of popularity around the holidays).