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Chestnuts and Fresh Colossal Chesntut
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Chestnut History |
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Chestnuts have had a long history of cultivation in Europe. During Roman times, the chestnut was the basis of a vital economy in the Mediterranean Basin as well as rural and "Gathering Chestnuts" mountainous areas of Southern Europe. Chestnuts were a reliable food source. For several hundred years, Southern Europe in areas such as the Italian and Swiss Alps, was called the "Chestnut Civilization." The
chestnut was referred to as the "bread tree." Cultivated
forms of chestnuts included hundreds of varieties selected for specific
qualities for uses as candying, roasting, boiling, drying, flour
and butter. The native habitat of the Chestnut extended throughout
the Northern Hemisphere and is found in China, Korea, Japan, Southern
Europe and North America. The entire Eastern half of the US was
once covered with wild chestnut trees.
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| The American Indian
relied on the Chestnut as a dietary staple. And, during the colonization
of America, the native chestnut was the premier tree, providing
wood for railroad ties, house framing, barns, fences and fuel.
The American Chestnut was an important source of tannin for leather
processing. Of course, the American Chestnut also provided highly
palatable nuts for eating. Chestnut trees were once so numerous
along the Eastern forests of the US that it is said a squirrel
could jump from chestnut tree to chestnut tree all the way from
Georgia to New York without ever touching the ground. American
Chestnuts served as a year-round source of food for humans and
animals.
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Chestnuts have a remarkable nutritional composition that sets them apart
from other nuts and makes them an outstanding food source, which can be
a dietary staple. The nuts are about 50% water when fresh, which makes
them highly perishable. They contain complex carbohydrate, are very low
in fat at about 1%, have reasonable quantities of vitamin C and
potassium, are very low in sodium and are free of gluten, oil and
cholesterol. The protein is high quality, and is easily assimilated by
the human body.
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| The American chestnut was one of the most important trees in the eastern hardwood forests until the late nineteenth century, making up to 25 percent of the forest. It was used for virtually everything - telegraph poles, railroad ties, heavy construction, shingles, panelling, fine furniture, musical instruments and even pulp and plywood. In addition, the chestnut was America's major source of tannin for tanning leather. However, by 1950, the chestnut was essentially eliminated as a forest tree in North America, having succumbed to chestnut blight (apparently brought in from Oriental varieties of chestnuts), of the late 1800's. Efforts are now being taken to re-introduce a disease resistant variety of American Chestnut. | |
