Tips for making chestnuts at home this Castañada

The celebration of Halloween is very popular nowadays, but fortunately there are still many of us who prefer a good coat in front of a bonfire, warming our hands with a handful of hot chestnuts and a good glass of muscat in good company. No tricks and no treats.

Although I am aware that times change and the way we face certain celebrations is adapting to the more modern world, I think we cannot let lose what has always been the queen of autumn celebrations: magosto in some areas, chestnut In others, or amagüestu oc haquetía are other beautiful names given to this precious tradition, especially common throughout the northern strip.

Many of these celebrations have their roots in the harvesting of chestnuts: in the past they were very precious, since they were the basis of the population's diet, both as fresh fruit, as well as dried and ground (in the form of flour). At the end of October and beginning of November their harvest was celebrated, with a party around the fire, with music, dancing and wine. With the arrival of corn and potatoes from America, the chestnut began to lose relevance, and the festivals changed depending on the area, despite preserving certain similarities such as fire and well-roasted chestnuts.

To do my part so that this celebration once again gains the strength it deserves, today I will talk to you about what I know best, the chestnut tree , and how to roast chestnuts at home , because it is a real pleasure to enjoy them all day long! autumn and part of winter!

History of the chestnut tree

La Castañada is celebrated in Catalonia and Aragon on All Saints' Day, November 1. It is said that this tradition comes from the fact that the bell ringers would ring the bells from the time the sun set in mid-afternoon until dawn. Thus, they reminded the entire population to pray for the deceased.

But that task was arduous and they ended up exhausted, and to regain strength they used chestnuts , since it is a very energetic fruit, and accompanied it with muscat or sweet wine.

This tradition became so popular in the 18th century that sellers took the opportunity to sell well-roasted chestnuts, and thus the figure of "the chestnut girl" appeared , from which several songs have been made that children sing today throughout of all autumn.

For all these reasons, today it is typical to eat chestnuts and muscatel on All Souls' Day. In many towns a bonfire is prepared and chestnuts are roasted, which are also accompanied by panellets and sweet potatoes . The chestnut tree also appears in the square, who has come down from the mountain to tell a story to the children of the town, who surround her and listen attentively.

In the cities, chestnut trees may not be celebrated in the most traditional way, but you do find many places on the street where there is a chestnut roasting stand, which is especially crowded that day. And the chestnut girl also makes her appearance in the schools, who distributes chestnuts and panellets among the little ones, they listen to stories and sing songs.

How to roast chestnuts at home

While I encourage you to go out and celebrate chestnuts next to a bonfire on the night of October 31, I also invite you to roast chestnuts at home whenever you feel like it. It doesn't have any complications and they are a big hit at home.

Seriously, roasting chestnuts is the easiest thing in the world, you just have to:

1. With a very sharp knife * make a cross cut or a cross-shaped cut in all the chestnuts (to prevent them from exploding when roasting them).
2. Put the chestnuts in a pan to roast chestnuts . No water, no oil, no... you don't have to add anything other than the chestnuts.
3. Shake the pan or stir the chestnuts with a spatula , so that the chestnuts are roasted on all sides.
4. When the chestnuts are well toasted, remove them from the heat and leave them wrapped in a cloth or newspaper.

After a few minutes you can peel them and enjoy.

De Buyer chestnut roasting pan

*It is very curious and relevant that the knife for chestnuts and garlic comes to us from France: the Opinel for chestnuts, coming from France, reveals the tradition and common use of this dried fruit. It has a super sharp tip to easily penetrate the chestnut shell and apply that much-needed cut.

If you don't have your chestnut roasting pan yet, I invite you to try De Buyer's . It is fantastic because it can be used on all heat sources (gas, vitro, induction, barbecue or fireplace) and it has a thickness like no other, distributing the heat very well and making it clear that it will last a lifetime.

The good thing about chestnut pans is that, since you don't have to add any liquid seasoning and since chestnuts are also a dry food, you never have to wash the pan (just wipe it with a kitchen paper to remove any remaining skin). . I recommend, however, that you keep it wrapped in newspaper, in a cloth or in a bag, so as not to leave black dust in the cupboard or dirty the rest of the pans. It is the only precaution you should take.