Talking About Chestnuts in the Fragrant Season
Talking About Chestnuts in the Fragrant Season
Chestnuts, also known as large chestnuts, sweet chestnuts, or hairy chestnuts, are a native Chinese specialty, referred to by foreigners as "ginseng fruit." Chestnuts can be eaten raw or processed into pastries, dishes, or congee. The most popular forms among consumers are sweet, crunchy candied chestnuts, as well as chestnut-braised chicken or pork.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, chestnuts are sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, and possess functions such as invigorating qi, nourishing the spleen, strengthening the gastrointestinal tract, tonifying the kidneys, reinforcing tendons, promoting blood circulation, and stopping bleeding. Both raw and cooked chestnuts can treat symptoms such as weakness in waist and legs, frequent urination, regurgitation, bloody stools, chronic lymphadenitis, cervical lymph node tuberculosis, chronic diarrhea due to spleen-stomach cold deficiency, and infertility caused by kidney deficiency. For internal hemorrhoids with bleeding, burn dried chestnut shells into charcoal, grind into powder, mix with honey, and dissolve in water for oral intake. Some TCM practitioners also combine chestnut shells with summer withering herb and salvia for treating acute cervical lymphadenitis and thyroid enlargement.
Chestnuts are rich in nutrients. However, whether raw or cooked, their protein, fat, and vitamin content is relatively low—mainly composed of carbohydrates (i.e., sugars). Chestnuts produce high energy, though fresh raw chestnuts contain more water, thus making nutrient concentrations lower compared to dried or cooked chestnuts. Since chestnuts contain substantial sugars, overconsumption should be avoided during tonification, especially for diabetics, to prevent blood glucose instability.