The most well-known species are horse chestnut and horse chestnut. The horse chestnut comes from the Mediterranean, from the town of Kastnana in ancient Thessaly. Chestnuts were also known intimately by the ancient Chinese. Traditional Chinese medicine, as we know, was associated with a strong spiritual. The Chinese thus regarded chestnuts as a symbol of a kind of new life-giving energy. To this day, the Chinese eat up to 40% of all chestnuts in the world. They roast them on hot sand, stew them and cook them in soups.
The chestnut tree is a long-lived tree that can live for several hundred years. They are massive trees with a beautiful crown. The leaves are dark green, sharply toothed around the edges. The trees flower in early July. Chestnuts are among the trees that, in addition to quality wood, also provide man with tasty fruits. In addition to the fruit, the leaves, bark and wood can also be used. Chestnuts are very healthy because they contain a lot of protein, fibre and minerals. Compared to nuts, they are less calorific, have less fat and more water. They contain vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium, carotene and other minerals. They are gluten-free and suitable for diabetics.
The fruit is also used to make liqueur, chestnut puree and chestnut stuffing. The leaves can be made into a tea that helps treat bronchitis and asthma. Chestnut fruit is not used much in our Slovak cuisine, unlike in American cuisine. Americans cannot imagine the Thanksgiving feast without chestnut stuffing in their turkey. Chestnuts are also called 'tree rice' because their nutritional properties are extremely similar to brown rice.
Chestnut wood is very dense, even denser than oak wood. It is very high quality and expensive. It has a high durability, which is why it was already used as part of wheel-buildings in the Bronze Age. Chestnut wood is still used today to make casks for fine wines, whereas oak wood has become more common for this purpose in more northern areas. Chestnut wood has an exclusive reddish-brown colour. It is resistant to abrasion and scratches, which adds to its positivity. Lovers of luxury furniture like to choose it for their work or dining rooms. The surface of this wood is velvety smooth and pleasant to the touch. You won't find any knots, knots, or resin channels or patterns on the wood, which makes chestnut furniture popular with customers who prefer clean and smooth lines.
Finally, some interesting facts. Spiders never weave webs near chestnut wood. That's why so many European castles were built with chestnut beams in the past. In France, on the other hand, a special delicacy is served at Christmas and New Year - candied chestnuts called marron glace. And just as we are accustomed to blessing Easter cakes and painted eggs at Easter, Corsicans bless chestnuts in church.
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