Roasting on an open fire, oven baked or steamed, chestnuts always say Christmas to me.
At the Santa Claus Parade in downtown Toronto in the 1960’s, there were always a few mustached Italians, bundled in dapper woolen coats and ascot caps, selling small bags of roasted chestnuts from their decorative wooden carts.
Traditionally, Dad bought us some chestnuts to munch as we watched the fabulous Christmas scenes in the Simpson’s windows, move magically, sending our imaginations reeling. We could feel the heat leaking into our mittens as we held the small white paper bag and retrieved a special treat. Part of the fun or sometimes pain in the butt, is the cracking open and peeling off the husk to reveal the soft, buttery flesh inside. Most of the chestnuts I have consumed over the years were burned on one side or even rancid. In some ways, it is a lottery choosing a roasted chestnut to eat and the reward of getting a good one is tremendous!
In many ways for me, the roasted chestnut is synonymous with the rewards and surprises that the Christmas Season always delivers. (images from Google)