Many people love to eat chestnuts, which are highly nutritious and offer many health benefits. But how should you choose chestnuts? What are the techniques for selecting good chestnuts?
Four Key Techniques for Selecting Chestnuts
But the question is, how do you choose good chestnuts?
One: Look
Look at the color
Chestnuts with a dark brown surface and a slightly reddish hue are generally good. If the shell is discolored, dull, or has dark spots, it indicates the nut has been infested by insects or has spoiled due to heat.
Look at the fluff
Everyone knows that the tail of a chestnut has a lot of fluff. New chestnuts usually have plenty of fluff on their tails, whereas older chestnuts have less, often just a little at the very tip.
Look for wormholes
If you're still not sure after checking for visible wormholes on the surface, you can vigorously rub the chestnut's skin with your hand. If no wormholes appear after this, it's most likely free of them.
Two: Squeeze
Squeeze the chestnut with your hand. If the shell is very hard, it indicates the nut is plump. If the nut feels soft, it means the kernel has shriveled or become mushy from being stored improperly. Alternatively, shake the chestnut near your ear. If you can't hear any sound, it means the nut is fresh. If you can hear a sound, it means the nut is dry and hard, and has been stored for a long time, so you shouldn't buy it.
Three: Smell
Bring it close to your nose to smell it. Fresh, seasonal chestnuts will have a strong, raw chestnut aroma that is not pungent. If it has been soaked in chemicals, it will have a faint, non-irritating chemical smell. Alternatively, you can bite into a chestnut to check its internal color. If the color near the shell is different, it means it has been soaked in chemicals that have penetrated the nut. Be cautious when purchasing.
Four: Taste
When buying, you can actually taste a piece. Good chestnut kernels are pale yellow, firm, have a fine texture, low moisture content, high sweetness, a rich sticky quality, and a strong aroma. Conversely, bad ones are hard, tasteless, and have a poor texture.
Note:
If you don't plan to eat the raw chestnuts immediately, it's best to store them in a mesh bag or a sieve in a cool, ventilated place. Let them sit for a day or two to evaporate excess moisture and allow the chestnuts to fully sweeten.
Eating chestnuts in winter strengthens the spleen and kidneys
Chestnuts are sweet in flavor and warm in nature; they affect the kidney, spleen, and stomach meridians.
Due to their rich carbohydrate content, they provide a good amount of energy, which helps the body resist cold. The unsaturated fatty acids, various vitamins, and minerals they contain are beneficial for preventing and treating conditions like high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and osteoporosis. The rich riboflavin in chestnuts helps prevent mouth ulcers.
There are many folk remedies in China that use chestnuts for nourishment and treatment. Sun Simiao emphasized the method of eating them "raw." Middle-aged and elderly people can prevent and effectively treat kidney deficiency, soreness in the waist, and leg pain by developing a habit of eating a few dried raw chestnuts daily.
It is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people eat three to four raw chestnuts in the morning and evening. By chewing the chestnuts slowly in the mouth until they become a pulp with no residue, and then swallowing bit by bit, the health benefits can be maximized.
Cooked chestnuts can harmonize the stomach and strengthen the spleen, alleviating spleen deficiency. Steaming chestnut kernels, grinding them into flour, and making cakes is suitable for children with poor appetite and a weak physique to increase appetite and regulate the digestive system. Cooking a porridge with chestnuts and japonica rice not only helps patients with chronic diarrhea caused by a deficient and cold spleen and stomach recover faster, but it is also a proven dietary therapy for the elderly with indigestion and fatigue.
Private Recipe: Braised Chicken with Chestnuts
Ingredients: 300g chicken, 300g chestnuts, 3 bell peppers, 5g peanut oil, 2g salt, 1 section of scallion, 4 slices of ginger, 2 star anise, appropriate amount of Sichuan peppercorns, 4 dried chili peppers, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2g sugar, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine.
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a wok, first add the dried chili peppers and stir-fry over low heat until the color darkens to release the spiciness. Then add the scallion, ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry over high heat. During the process, the chicken will release some water; just continue to stir-fry over high heat.
3. Keep stir-frying until no moisture is visible in the wok and you can hear a sizzling sound, indicating the water has cooked out and the chicken is starting to render its oil.
4. Add enough hot water to cover the chicken, along with the chestnuts, salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and a few drops of rice vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat and simmer.5. When the sauce in the wok has thickened, add the bell peppers and mix. Turn off the heat and serve when you can smell the fresh aroma of the bell peppers.
Delicious Chestnut Recipes
After selecting some delicious chestnuts, why not try making a delicious chestnut dish yourself!
Braised Pork Belly with Chestnuts
Ingredients: 200g pork belly, 400g chestnuts, 50ml salad oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon chicken powder, 5 slices of ginger, 4 star anise, 1 section of cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 25g brown sugar, appropriate amount of chopped scallions.
Instructions:
1. Peel and clean the chestnuts. Cut the pork belly into small cubes. Slice the ginger. Wash the star anise and cinnamon stick and set aside.
2. Add a small amount of oil to a wok and heat over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, cinnamon stick, and star anise and stir-fry until fragrant. Increase the heat to high, add the pork belly, and stir-fry until the color changes.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce and stir-fry until the pork is evenly colored. Add the chestnuts and stir-fry to combine. Add enough water to cover most of the wok and dissolve the brown sugar.
4. Cover the wok, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
5. When the liquid has reduced by about 80%, add salt and a small amount of chicken powder. Increase the heat to high and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and coats the chestnuts and pork evenly. When the liquid has reduced by about 90%, turn off the heat, dish out, and garnish with chopped scallions.
Ways to Eat Chestnuts
Because chestnuts in the north and south have different characteristics, their preparation methods also vary. Northerners roast chestnuts with coarse sand and malt sugar, while southerners more often use them in dishes and soups. Chestnuts are very versatile: they can be boiled in water as a soup for convalescence from illness or for weakness and soreness; they can be cooked into a congee with sugar to tonify kidney qi and strengthen bones; they can be eaten daily as a few dried chestnuts, or cooked fresh for the elderly with kidney deficiency; for sprains, bruises, and swelling, raw chestnut meat can be pounded into a paste and applied to the affected area.
How to peel chestnuts: After washing the raw chestnuts, place them in a container, add a small amount of salt, and cover with boiling water. Put the lid on. After 5 minutes, take out a chestnut and cut it open; the skin will come off easily with the shell. This method is time-saving and labor-saving.
Finally, a reminder: do not eat too many chestnuts at once.