Chestnuts are indigenous to Asia, Europe and America. The ancient Greeks were among the first to cultivate them.
Chestnuts are the fruit of a magnificent-looking tree belonging to the same famly as the oak and the beech. The nuts are roundish in shape, drawn up to a point and flattened on one side. The seeds are contained in a prickly case called a burr. In the autumn the burr opens, dropping the chestnuts to the ground.
There are four species of chestnuts; Japanese, Chinese, American and European. The European chestnut is considered the sweetest. Chestnuts should not be confused with Horse Chestnuts or Chinese water chestnuts.
To see how to prepare chestnuts check out this
how to video.