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Chestnut (Castanea) Health Benefits

By : Dr. Rida Y. Nuwayhid

Lebanon, October, 2007

The gift of the Castanea tree is the tasty chestnut – amazingly more than simply a nut! The chestnut is considered to be
more akin to a vegetable than a true nut since its moisture content is high at about 55% (compare this to 5% for the
almond or 4% for the pistachio). The Italians called it the “grain than grows on a tree!” because of its high carbohydrate
content (about 40%, of which nearly 28% is starch and the rest sugars) make it very much like grain.

In fact, the chestnut is very low in lipids at less than 2% (compare this to 54% for almond or 56% for the pistachio) and
therefore is a good dietary food. The fat content is not only low but is of a cholesterol-free quality. Additionally, the
sodium content is low and the potassium content is high making the chestnut good for blood pressure and nervous system
problems. Chestnuts are usually eaten roasted or boiled but may also be used in many dishes adding complementary
nutrition and taste to them. In addition, mixed with wheat flour, a high quality and nutritious chestnut flour can be made
that can be used in baking.

How to make Chestnut Flour?
Not an easy task and therefore an expensive item. Chestnut flour needs to be mixed with another flour for baking as it is
gluten –free.
•        Dry chestnuts until stone dry
•        Laboriously remove the outer shell and the inner pellicle
•        Break the chestnuts into small pieces
•        Use a grain-mill (or a heavy duty food processor) to grind the chestnuts. Otherwise pound them in a mortar.

In general, the chestnut is a high energy food with mineral restoring, anti-anemic and anti-septic properties. It is useful in
situations where there is physical or intellectual strain.

The nut, harvested from late September through October, needs to be stored for a couple of weeks to allow the starch
to slowly convert to sugar. During this time the nut ought to be kept at a temperature just above freezing with sufficient
humidity to avoid spoilage. For the small scale homeowner, just put the nuts in a plastic bag including a damp newspaper in
the vegetable drawer of the Fridge – this should hold the nuts for a couple of months with minimal rotting.

Chestnuts in Lebanon...
The chestnut (Castanea spp.) is a tree that can live over 500 years and ultimately produce over 100 kilograms of nuts with
very little maintenance. The tree, however, needs to be planted in the correct soil and at the appropriate elevation in
Lebanon. While, there are some trees that are nearly a century old in Lebanon, it is only in the last 15 years that there has
been increased interest in establishing chestnut culture in Lebanon. In some places, these trees have naturalized and in
others they have failed due to poor quality stock or simply because the bioclimatic/soil conditions were ill-judged. Where
they succeed the result is eventually a majestic nut-barren tree of great commercial and esthetic value. In Lebanon, there
are several notable areas of chestnut production, most prominent of which is Tarshish at nearly 1700 m in Mount Lebanon.

The economical value of chestnut production in Lebanon has not been studied yet but it is projected that with proper
selection and planting it is possible that chestnuts could complement the successful pine-nut culture in Lebanon. In fact,
one could envision blooming chestnut groves in semi-wild conditions just above the Pinus pinea groves of central Mount
Lebanon near Tarshish, Kfar selwane or Falougha or just below the Cedrus libani groves of Tannourine, Jaj or Bcharri.

For more information about growing or studying chestnut trees sen our expert and email at rnuwayhid@hotmail.com