FOOD & DRINK: Make a pig of yourself

Straight roads, law and order, viaducts and toga parties are all very well but what did the Romans really do for us? Well they brought us the chestnut - and we've ignored it ever since. Save for the whiff of aromatic smoke that wafts through towns as chestnut sellers set out their braziers, these delicacies are rarely noticed on these shores.

While sweet chestnut trees grow as far north as the Highlands (we also have horse chestnuts, better known as conkers, but they are inedible), their fruit has been seen largely as fit only for pig swill, as the 17th- century writer John Evelyn commented on when he wrote: "We give that fruit to our swine in England, which is among the delicacies of princes in other countries."

The village of Tortworth, on the Avon/ Gloucestershire border, home to a magnificent sweet chestnut, was once called Tamworth, and may have been home of the English breed of pig of that name. The tree itself is believed to be the oldest tree in Britain - grown from a nut planted over 1,200 years ago. Writing for the Gentleman's Magazine in 1762, the tree expert Peter Collinson said he believed that it was, "in all probability the oldest, if not the largest tree in England, being 52ft around", dating it to the 9th century, "rising from the nut in the reign of King Egbert, anno 800".

In all that time, Brits, it seems, have never been big chestnut eaters. Yes, there are a few well-known recipes - chestnut stuffing and Brussels sprouts with chestnuts are wheeled out and served up every Christmas, before being forgotten again until the next festive season - but even scouring old cookbooks produces few chestnut recipes.

The rich repertoires of chestnut-based dishes from France, Italy and Spain make our selection look meagre. In the poorer, mountainous regions of southern Europe, the chestnut - a rich source of carbohydrate and the only nut which contains significant amounts of vitamin C - has long been an important source of nutrition in times of need; while in France's Cevennes region, where chestnuts have helped the local peasantry survive many a harsh winter, the tree is known as l'arbre pain, the bread tree.

Throughout France, countless types of patisserie, desserts and ices are made from creme de marrons, sweetened chestnut cream. And in the Ardeche, marrons glaces, or candied chestnuts, are a speciality. The Corsican version of polenta, brilloli, is still based on chestnut flour and an old Corsican tradition calls for no fewer than 22 dishes based on chestnut flour to be served at wedding celebrations.

Northern Italy is another home to chestnut appreciation. Before maize was introduced to Europe from the New World, here, a flour made from dried, ground chestnuts was the basis for the original polenta. Local cooks still use chestnut flour to thicken stews and it is added to wheat flour to make certain pastas; chestnut flour is also the basis for sweet cakes including castagnaccio, a speciality of Tuscany. While around Lucca and Pestoia, it is used to make a traditional flatbread called necci, which is cooked in the embers of a fire and served with ricotta or pecorino cheese. Italian cooks have known for centuries that chestnuts have a natural affinity with chocolate, too, coming up with numerous delectable desserts.

While our Continental neighbours were getting creative with chestnuts, it seems we were turning into a nation of white-bread lovers, beholden to another Roman import: wheat. Or it may be that English cooks just found the task of harvesting and peeling chestnuts too much work. Sure, they fall to the ground easily enough, but prising the nuts from their spiky casings is a potentially painful - and labour intensive - business.

Hard work, but well worth it. Or maybe not, now that you can now buy chestnuts (mostly imported from Spain, France or Italy) ready prepared or even ground to flour (see box, left). So this Christmas, there's no excuse for leaving the chestnuts to the pigs. n

Fresh chestnuts Hard work but taste great. Start appearing in shops in late autumn, mostly from Spain. Look for nuts that are heavy and have unbroken skin and no wormholes. Peel off thin, bitter, inner skin, as well as shell.

Chestnut flour Should be used within four months or will turn acrid and sour.

Dried chestnuts Great store-cupboard staple available in Italian delis and Asian stores. Versatile and keep for a long time, but must be soaked in water or milk for 24 hours before use.

Creme de marrons A tinned puree, often flavoured with vanilla.

Vacuum-sealed (sous vide) Don't compare to fresh nuts but good quality and the most convenient form of chestnut. Choose tins rather than boxes with plastic inside.

Chestnut and butternut squash risotto

A wonderfully warming, earthy, autumnal dish. Fresh chestnuts are best for this dish, but use sous vide if you're in a hurry.

1 medium butternut squash Olive oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped 60g/ 2oz butter 7oz/200g risotto rice (Carnaroli or Vialone Nano) 1 litre/ 13/4 pints good chicken stock, kept warm on the hob 2 wineglasses dry white wine, room temperature 15-20 chestnuts, roasted and peeled 100g/ 31/2oz Gorgonzola (creamy style, not piccante) A few sage leaves Salt and pepper