Time for the Chestnut Festivals in the French Riviera (Yay!)
I’ve said it before – and I’ll say it again – fall is my favorite time on the French Riviera. And one of the reasons for that is the Chestnut Festivals!
Before coming to the French Riviera, the only thing I knew about chestnuts came from the Christmas song – You know, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..”
So I was surprised – and happy – to find out that there was something else that I love about living here! Chestnuts are wonderful…they’re so versatile – and delicious – no matter how they’re prepared.
For example, you can:
- Boil them
- Roast them
- Candy them
- Turn them into ice cream
- Simmer then into a sauce
- Crush them into flour
- Macerate them into liquors
- Put them into jams
- Make stuffing with them
We have a chestnut wagon about a block and a half away from us – it’s on the corner of the big square called “la Place de la liberte.” It’s a little red and black wagon and inside it’s got a fire with a round drum that is turned to roast the chestnuts. A bag of chestnuts costs about 2 euros 50 and they are so delicious when they’re hot and freshly roasted.
So the chestnut festivals are held at these little villages around the Var (that’s our department – what we in the states call a county.) At the festivals you get to walk around and taste all the delicious and different things people do to chestnuts…and of course there’s wine, and cheese and charcaturies and artisans come to sell their wares, and it’s just a great way to spend the weekend!
The first chestnut festival of the season was Sunday in Collobriers – we don’t usually go to that one because literally thousands of people show up for that – and I’m not one for being shuffled around like a sardine in a can. I prefer the smaller ones that are a little more authentic and less touristy. So we’ll be going this Sunday – and I’ll talke pictures to share.
But still…it’s Chestnut Season! Yay!
Tags:Chestnut Festivals,Chestnut Season,Collobriers
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