Japanese chestnut ✦

Châtaigne japonaise (kuri)

What it is

Castanea crenata carries natural resistance to the blight that erased the American chestnut, and its genes have been bred into restoration hybrids for a century. In the kitchen it is the harder chestnut: the inner shibukawa skin grips the flesh instead of flaking away, and shibukawa-ni, the dish that keeps that skin on, takes three days of simmering and changes of water before the tannin lets go.

In the kitchen

Soak them overnight before peeling — the outer shell then comes away in one piece, which dry it never does. For shibukawa-ni, simmer in water with a teaspoon of baking soda per litre and change the water three times before any sugar goes in; sugar added early sets the tannin in place.

Goes with

Rice Sweet potato Soy sauce White sugar Hon-mirin Black sesame Kombu

Same species

Chestnut Chestnut cream Chestnut flour Chestnut honey

In season alongside

Japanese tilefish (amadai) Amethyst deceiver Arbutus berry Bay bolete Hind Bintje potato

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