different species of large trees in the genus Castanea, which are found in Europe, Asia, and North America They’re unlike the other common nuts in storing their energy for the future seedling in the form of starch, not oil Chestnuts are thus usually thoroughly cooked and have a mealy texture Since prehistory they have been dried, ground into flour, and used in the same way that the starchy cereals are, to make gruels, breads, pastas, cakes, and provide substance in soups Before the arrival of the potato and corn from the New World, chestnuts were an essential subsistence food in mountainous and marginal agricultural areas of Italy and France At the opposite extreme, a luxurious chestnut specialty invented in the 17th century is marrons glacés, large chestnuts that are cooked, slowly infused over a day or two with a vanillaflavored syrup, then glazed with a more concentrated syrup The American enjoyment of our native chestnut, Castanea dentata, was brought to a sad end in the early 20th century, when in the course of a few decades, an imported Asian fungal blight wiped out a tree that used to make up 25% or more of the eastern hardwood forest Today, the world’s leading chestnut producers are China, Korea, Turkey, and Italy Because of its high initial moisture content, the chestnut is quite perishable Chestnuts are best kept covered and refrigerated, and should be eaten fairly quickly If freshly gathered, however, they should be cured at room temperature for a few days This improves the flavor by permitting some starch to be converted into sugar before the cells’ metabolism is slowed down Why Brazil Nuts Rise to the Top of the Bowl A paper published in the 1987 Physical Review Letters tried to crack a hard nut: ... chestnut producers are China, Korea, Turkey, and Italy Because of its high initial moisture content, the chestnut is quite perishable Chestnuts are best kept covered and refrigerated, and should be eaten fairly quickly If freshly gathered, however, they... sad end in the early 20th century, when in the course of a few decades, an imported Asian fungal blight wiped out a tree that used to make up 25% or more of the eastern hardwood forest Today, the world’s leading... If freshly gathered, however, they should be cured at room temperature for a few days This improves the flavor by permitting some starch to be converted into sugar before the cells’ metabolism is slowed down