Saturday 12 December 2009

Fiera di a Castagna, Bocognano - 11, 12 & 13 December

Roasted chestnuts – yum! Sadly, as I’m currently in the UK ‘chez maman’, I haven’t been able to go to the Fiera di a Castagna in Bocognano this year.



This chestnut is very important in Corsica, and the Chestnut fayre is one of Corsica's largest regional fayres. Chestnuts are gathered around the island during October and November, and the yearly harvest is an amazing 1200 tons not including those gathered by the roadside by people like me!



About 85% are ground down into flour used in cakes, pastries, bread, pulenda (a variation of the Italian Pollenta), nougat and in lots of delicious dishes, but I just like mine roasted.



All you do is cut a cross in the skin with a sharp knife so the air can escape, and roast them on a baking tray for about 30 minutes. The smell is absolutely devine.



Unfortunately, after a rather unfortunate incident with a kamikaze chestnut in Aullène I only managed to collect one lot this year!