Flour of Chestnuts and marrons

To produce the flour, chestnuts or marrons must first be dried, a process traditionally carried out in special two-story structures called drying houses. The chestnuts or marrons were placed on the upper floor, while a fire was lit on the lower floor.

Hot air and smoke would filter through the wooden floor, reaching and drying the fruits. To complete the process, the fire had to be kept burning for 2-3 days. Chestnut or marron flour was a fundamental part of the diet for mountain people, and today it remains a staple in rural cuisine, such as polenta, which is highly energetic and essential in the diet of mountain dwellers.

Ingredients:

1/2 kg of chestnut flour

1 liter of water

a pinch of salt

Procedure:

Slowly pour the flour into the water, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Let cook for about half an hour. Traditionally, it was served with bacon, cream, or even a fried egg.

The typical dessert made from marrons is certainly castagnaccio, a kind of dense, dark-colored cake.

It is perhaps the specialty that best expresses the "flavor of the chestnut."

Ingredients:

200 g of chestnut flour

5 tablespoons of olive oil

30 cl of cold water

a pinch of salt

a handful of pine nuts

a handful of raisins (previously soaked)

Procedure:

Pour the chestnut flour along with the salt and oil, gradually add the water, and mix until you get a soft, lump-free batter. Grease a low, wide baking dish of at least 26 cm (preferably made of tinned copper) and pour in the batter. Sprinkle the surface with pine nuts and raisins, and drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake the castagnaccio at 220°C until it turns brown and cracks form on the crust. Remove from the oven. It can be enjoyed warm or cold, on its own, or with ricotta, cream, or mild cheeses.