Chestnut production in Switzerland
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There is a long history of chestnut cultivation and consumption in Switzerland, particularly in the southern regions. During the 20th century, chestnut has evolved from a staple food to a popular confectionery ingredient.
The chestnut was introduced in Ticino during the Roman era. Chestnut grove and coppice management replaced slash-and-burn agriculture. The climate of southern Switzerland particularly suited the chestnut, to the point it became known as the "bread tree".[1][2] The chestnut was also introduced in the southern valleys of the Grisons[3] and Valais.
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Chestnut cultivation declined in the 18th century, when potatoes and maize were introduced in Switzerland. It remained however an important staple food for the poors until the early 20th century;[3] the Siegfried Map introduced a specific symbol for chestnut groves in 1914.[4] The maintenance of chestnut groves ceased during the 20th century due to diseases and declined after the massive exploitation of wood for tannin factories.[3]
Since the 1990s, chestnut groves and chestnuts have been of interest to tourists and local communities started their revalorization.[3] Today, 98% of Swiss chestnut trees are found on the south side of the Alps (Ticino and the Grisons),[4] for instance in the Malcantone and Val Bregaglia. Chestnut groves are also found in Valais, particularly in Fully and Saint-Gingolph,[5] and various other locations around Lake Lucerne and the Walensee.[6]
The consumption of chestnuts today is essentially festive. Ticino restaurants and pastry chefs all over Switzerland also make vermicelli, an autumnal dessert consisting of a sweet chestnut purée and whipped cream.[3]
See also
References
- ^ Stefano Mazzoleni (2004). Recent Dynamics of the Mediterranean Vegetation and Landscape. John Wiley & Sons. p. 237. ISBN 9780470093702.
Thus, for many centuries the chestnut was the "bread tree" par excellence, the principal – if not the only – source of subsistence in the mountains for the local population. Concerning southern Switzerland, we know that the introduction of the chestnut took place 2000 years ago, triggering a revolution in landscape management, namely from a slash-and-burn agricultural approach to chestnut grove and coppice management.
- ^ "La Svizzera italiana riscopre "l'albero del pane"". Swissinfo. 26 November 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
Patate, polenta ma soprattutto castagne: ecco come si "tirava avanti" nella Svizzera a sud delle Alpi. Dopo la seconda guerra mondiale sono arrivati gli anni dell'abbondanza e la castagna è stata dimenticata.
[Potatoes, polenta but above all chestnuts: this is how they "got by" in Switzerland south of the Alps. After the Second World War the years of plenty arrived and the chestnut was forgotten.] - ^ a b c d e "Castagne". Culinary Heritage of Switzerland. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ a b "The chestnut wood – a remarkable symbol on the Siegfried Map". Federal Office of Topography swisstopo. Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Boillat, Christophe (6 May 2019). "Une châtaigneraie pour renouer avec son passé". 24 heures. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Châtaigne (nord des Alpes)". Culinary Heritage of Switzerland. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
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