This cake it both delicious and fascinating. It’s Castagnaccio: Tuscan Chestnut Cake, made with flour from just-harvested local chestnuts.
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Its flavour is a wonder – rich, deep, sweet, smokey.
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Its history is profound – chestnuts have, at times, been the only sustenance available to the communities in mountainous regions of Italy. So many dishes were creatively concocted by the generations who literally grew-up on chestnuts.
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Cucina povera, and its world-wide equivalents, gift us so much and it feels amazing to continue to honour the seasons, the produce and the simple recipes.
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Many people here with Italian ancestry have contacted me saying they can’t wait for the chestnut flour to appear in their local Italian deli. This is the way to use it!
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I’ll be cooking this live, a week today, Nov 12th at 7am PST/4pm CET, on Zoom with @farmandhearth and our podcast patrons. If you’re interested in cooking along and aren’t a yet a patron, do check @ancestralkitchenpodcast to find out how to come along.