Roasted chestnut is a popular autumn and winter street food in East Asia, Europe, New York City and Istanbul. Asian chestnuts (Castanea crenata, C. mollissima) as well as European chestnuts (C. sativa) can be used.
Asia
China In China, chǎolìzi (; "stir-fried chestnut") is a popular autumn street food. Because they are roasted with sand and sweet syrup, they are also called tángchǎolìzi (; "sugar stir-fried chestnut").
Korea Gunbam (; "roasted chestnut") is a popular street food in both North and South Korea. The food is sold from late autumn to winter by the vendors wearing ushanka, which is sometimes referred to as "roasted chestnut vendor hat" or "roasted sweet potato vendor hat". A popular folk song called Gunbam taryeong (; "ballad of roasted chestnuts") was composed by Jeon Su-rin in 1932, and has been sung since, being one of the songs commonly taught in public schools in South Korea.
Europe
Austria The Maronistand is a small booth where a street vendor offers roasted Maroni ("edible chestnuts" in local German) and potato-based hot snacks cooked in and on portable metal drums. Such outlets appear in the colder seasons and are a common sight at, for example, Viennese Christmas markets.
France In France, marrons chauds ("hot chestnuts") are a well known autumn street food. In Paris, many street sellers come from India, and use improvised stands with shopping carts and cans.
In Corsica roasted chestnuts are known as fasgiole in Corsican language.
Italy In Italy roasted chestnuts are most commonly known as caldarroste. They are very popular especially in mountainous areas of the country, such as the Apennines and the Alps where the chestnut grows in abundance. Chestnuts and roasted chestnuts can be found in numerous festivals throughout Italy, usually organized between the end of October and the beginning of November.
Roasted chestnuts are also known by various other names in different parts of Italy:
Basturnòn - Apennines of Piacenza Biröll, Biroeull - Province of Como and Province of Milan Boröla - Province of Bergamo Braschèe, Mundee - North of Lake Como Brigi - Città di Castello, Umbria Brostoi - Some areas south of Brescia Bruciata - Province of Florence and Province of Siena Brusè - Province of Parma Brüsatè - Piedmont Buerie - Friuli Caciole, infornatelle - Val Roveto, Abruzzo Callarosta - Vallerano (VT) Callaròsta - Canepina (VT) Còculi - Molochio (RC) Frugiata - Some areas of the Province of Pistoia and Province of Lucca Maroni, Marroni - Province of Modena and Province of Bologna Mondina - Garfagnana, Lucca Plain, Versilia, Lunigiana Mondìgoli, Mandìgoli - Northern part of the Province of Vicenza Mundaj, Mundà - Piedmont Mundìne - Val Camonica Nserta - Northern part of the Province of Cosenza Pastiji - Some areas of the Province of Reggio Calabria Pistiddre - Rotonda (PZ) Pistiddèr - Pollino (southern area of Basilicata) Riggiola - Northern part of the Province of Cosenza Ruseddre, Rusedde - Central-western Calabria Ruselle - Southern part of the Province of Cosenza Rustìa - Province of Genoa Varola - Montella (AV), Irpinia (AV), Melfi (PZ) Vojola - Soriano nel Cimino (VT)
Portugal and Spain Roasted chestnuts are popular street food in Portugal. Called castanhas assadas ("roasted chestnuts") in Portuguese, it is sold around November, when Dia de São Martinho (St. Martin's Day) is celebrated across the country. Traditionally, newly harvested chestnuts are eaten around a bonfire on this day.
In some cities of Spain, during the winter period, portable grills are prepared with the intention of selling the roasted chestnuts in street stalls. In this case, the chestnuts are sold in paper cones (generally made from newspaper sheets). The tradition of the Magosto (roast chestnuts) is a tradition in the Iberian Peninsula.
United States
New York City Roasted chestnuts are sold as street food, primarily in Manhattan. While they have been sold regularly for well over a century, they have become less common. The vendors who continue to sell them say they mostly sell to tourists around the Christmas holidays. They are sold ($3-$4 a bag) starting either at the beginning of autumn, or when the first chill sets in – about the end of September, or early October, until early spring.
Gallery
See also Roasted sweet potato
References