These nuts are popular around Christmas and then too often forgotten for the rest of the year. They work well blended into soups (try adding a handful to a parsnip soup), warming winter stews, but also in desserts – try combining cooked chestnut puree with mascarpone or chocolate ganache! If you’re making your own vanilla ice-cream, add a few tablespoons of the puree along with a dash of rum for an exciting end to a meal. Chestnut’s earthy flavour also works beautifully in a mushroom speltotto (just chop them finely and add at the end).

These nuts do not contain as much protein or fat as other nuts. Their calorific content is mainly derived from carbohydrates.