Chestnuts grown without pesticides or fertilizers (by Ikeda)

Chestnuts grown in Kumamoto Prefecture without the use of pesticides or fertilizers.
Eiko Ikeda, who started trading in 2021.

We were introduced to Mr. Osugi, who provided us with chestnuts until 2020. The farm is located in Kita-ku, Kumamoto City. His husband planted the seedlings about 30 years ago, and now it has grown into a magnificent chestnut grove.

Chestnuts bloom from late May to early June, with the long, fluffy flowers being the male flowers and the small, rounded parts at the base being the female flowers. Once pollinated, the female flowers turn into the commonly seen chestnuts.

Roasted chestnuts are recommended
When it comes to eating chestnuts, there are classic dishes such as making chestnut rice or boiling them with the skins on, but peeling them can be quite a struggle.
Although most people end up boiling them, roasted chestnuts are an equally easy and delicious way to prepare them.

 After rinsing the chestnuts to remove any dirt, make an incision on the surface with the base of a knife and place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes. That's it. The key is to make the incision firmly. Keep making it until it reaches the part you will eat.

If the cuts are not made properly, the pressure inside the shell can build up during heating, causing it to burst. I've had it burst once, and it splattered all over the oven, which was a pain to clean up.

Storage tips If you are not going to eat it right away, we recommend storing it in the refrigerator. If you store it at room temperature for a long time, it will dry out and become hollow. It will be delivered in a bag specially designed for storing vegetables, so you can just put it in the refrigerator.

Even if the surface becomes moldy during storage, the contents are fine as long as they haven't turned black or become soft.