In The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole waxed nostalgic about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Do you think of it today as just an quaint memory of an obscure tradition? Most likely.
The fact is that roasting chestnuts wasn't an obscure tradition. It was the fragrance of Christmas in the 18th and 19th centuries. But, by the time Cole sang that line in 1946, the roasting chestnut was, in fact, just a memory.
The chestnut tree fed humans and forest animals for at least 9 thousand years. But, in 1946, it was already dead in the forests of America. A fungus, accidentally imported in 1904, was responsible for killing 30 million acres of chestnut forest in 40 years.
Today most chestnuts come from Italy, but they are not the same as the sweeter American chestnut, according to USA Today. While the American Chestnut Foundation has worked to breed a tree resistant to the blight, the tradition of roasting chestnuts, once the pleasure of people in city and country, has disappeared from U.S. Christmas celebrations. To the extent it still exists, the roasted chestnut can mainly be found in cities.
However, thanks to chestnut tree research, some blight-resistant American chestnuts are available from October to December and if you want to try some here is how to roast them.
Look for unblemished nuts with a shiny, smooth and firm shell. If they crack, they are too old.
1. Cut a small X through the shell in the rounded side of the nut. This is very important so that the chestnuts won't explode when roasted.
2. Soak the cut chestnuts in water for about 30 to 60 minutes.
3. Put the chestnuts in a single layer in a cast-iron skillet, cut-side up. You can put the skillet in an oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Or you can cook the nuts over a fire for about 10 minutes. The nuts are done when the shell pulls back a little from the X.
4. Use a knife to peel back the hard outer shell and inner brown skin.
You'll find the cooked chestnut is soft, with the texture of sweet potato, and a mild, sweet, flavor, both nutty, earthy.
