Chestnut flour is a gluten-free nut flour with a short shelf life, made by grinding roasted chestnuts. It is traditionally used in Italian baking and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is sold in the fall and winter and should have a light yellow to tan color and a nutty scent and flavor. It can be accompanied by other ingredients such as dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, herbs, or cheese.
Chestnut flour is a nut flour made from ground European chestnuts and has a characteristic texture and aroma. This product has a relatively short shelf life and is usually sold in the fall and winter by international grocery stores and health food stores. The best chestnut flour is light yellow to tan in color, slightly rough in texture, and smells strongly of roasted chestnuts. This food should never smell sour or appear powdery, dry, or bland. Chestnut flour is associated with traditional baking in parts of Italy, but, as this flour is gluten-free, it is safe for use by people with celiac disease and others with gluten intolerance.
Most chestnut flour is made by grinding whole roasted chestnuts into a fine powder, which smells strongly of chestnuts and has a slightly sweet, nutty, oily taste. The fat content of this flour means it spoils quickly, making it a seasonal product in many markets. You can buy chestnut flour in the fall and winter at Italian grocery stores, specialty bakeries, and health food stores. It is sometimes available out of season when refrigerated or frozen and must always be kept cold to extend its shelf life.
You should look for a soft, uniform powder with a light yellow to tan color and a nutty scent and flavor. The oil in the flour may cause soft lumps to form in the bag, but these should be easy to break up with your fingers, even through the bag. Never buy flour that has no detectable scent or that smells sour or sour; these characteristics indicate a stale or spoiled product. Even fragrant chestnut flour has a sour taste, which cannot be covered by cooking or flavourings.
This flour originated as a replacement for wheat flour in parts of northern Italy where chestnuts were more readily available to the poor than wheat. Chestnut flour works in both sweet and savory dishes and can be accompanied by dried fruit, other nuts or chocolate, as well as herbs or cheese. It’s traditionally mixed with some wheat flour for use in pies, pastas, and crepes, but can be used on its own by people who can’t eat gluten. Since chestnut flour is gluten-free, it won’t rise in cakes or other baked goods without the addition of guar gum or other strengthening ingredients.
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