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 porridge. The most popular forms among consumers are sweet, crisp candied chestnuts, as well as chestnut-stewed chicken or pork.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, chestnuts are sweet in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic, and have functions such as invigorating qi, nourishing the spleen, strengthening the stomach, tonifying the kidneys, reinforcing tendons, promoting blood circulation, and stopping bleeding. Both raw and cooked chestnuts can treat symptoms such as weak waist and legs, frequent urination, nausea, bloody stools, chronic lymphadenitis, cervical lymph node tuberculosis, chronic diarrhea due to spleen and stomach coldness, and infertility caused by kidney deficiency. Burn dried chestnut shells into charcoal, grind into powder, mix with honey, and dissolve in water for oral intake to treat internal hemorrhoids. 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, but neither raw nor cooked chestnuts contain high levels of protein, fat, or vitamins. Their main component is carbohydrates (sugars). Chestnuts produce high energy, though fresh raw chestnuts have relatively lower nutrient concentration due to high water content compared to dried or cooked ones. Since chestnuts contain significant sugar, overconsumption should be avoided during tonification—especially for diabetics—to prevent blood glucose instability.