Autumn fruit: chestnut or sweet chestnut, how to recognize edible fruit in the forest

Published by Cécile de Sortiraparis · Photos by My de Sortiraparis · Published on September 28, 2023 at 11:50 a.m.
On a walk in the forest, you're sure to find chestnuts and sweet chestnuts at the foot of the trees, just waiting to be picked up and cooked. But beware: chestnuts are poisonous and cannot be eaten! Here's how to recognize them.

With this fine weather, it's always nice to take a walk in the forest, amidst trees sporting theirautumn colors. At this time of year, you'll also find plenty of chestnuts on the forest floor. A godsend for those of you who love this autumn fruit.

But beware: while chestnuts are edible, and even delicious, they are poisonous! Here are a few tips on how to tell the difference between the two fruits and prepare your meals in complete safety.

The Frenchfood safety agency, Agence nationale sécurité sanitaire alimentaire (Anses), warns us of the harmful effects that a chestnut cooked wrongly can cause, and gives us advice on how to recognize edible chestnuts for sure. Indeed, chestnuts " can cause digestive disorders such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or throat irritation. "

To avoid these inconveniences, you need to pick the right fruit. Chestnuts can be recognized by their bogues " brown, bristling with numerous long prickles, and [qui] contains 2 to 3 chestnuts at a time, rather small, flattened and triangular. " Conversely, chestnuts have a bogue that is " thick, green, provided with small, spaced, short spikes, and generally contains a single, larger, rounded chestnut. "

Chestnut trees are most often found in forests, orchards and woods, and have elongated leaves. Chestnut trees, on the other hand, are often planted in cities, and have small, oval-shaped leaves. The fruit you'll find in the city is therefore mostly inedible chestnuts.

To enjoy these pretty chestnuts, try out chef Mélanie Serre's seasonal recipes! And if you happen to come across any mushrooms during this forest walk, here are some tips too.

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