In autumn the hills around Roccadaspide fill with the smell of roast chestnuts. We went up into the chestnut woods of the Cilento hinterland on just those days, and understood why the marron chestnut is taken so seriously here. Let us introduce the Marrone di Roccadaspide IGP.
A thousand-year history
Chestnut growing in this part of the province of Salerno has been documented since the 11th century. The archives of the Badia di Cava hold parchments that already mention chestnut woods in the Cilento in 1183-1184. After the Second World War chestnuts played an important part in the economy of inland families, and well-kept woods are still part of the landscape today.
IGP recognition
The Marrone di Roccadaspide has been a Protected Geographical Indication since 2008. The production area covers about 70 municipalities in the province of Salerno, across the Cilento, the Alburni and the Calore valley. The product specification allows three marron-type ecotypes: Abate, Anserta and Castagna Rossa.
How to recognise it
The nut is semi-spherical and large: the specification sets a maximum of 85 nuts per kilo. The shell is thin and brown and comes away easily; the inner skin is thin and smooth. The flesh is white and crunchy, slightly floury, with a sweet taste due to its high sugar content.
Harvest and curing
The harvest takes place in autumn, by hand or mechanically, and is completed by the first days of November. To preserve the nuts a traditional technique is still used, curing: the chestnuts are left to soak in cold water for about nine days, with the water changed every day, then dried and stored in well-ventilated rooms. Chestnuts meant for drying are instead treated slowly over a fire.
In the kitchen
We prefer them simply roasted, but the marron lends itself to many uses: flour, marrons glacés, jams and creams. In home cooking it goes with game and autumn dishes. We recommend trying them boiled with bay leaves, as many families still do.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
From Roccadaspide you can head up to Castel San Lorenzo and Felitto, with its Calore Gorges, or go on to Castelcivita for The Castelcivita Caves. In autumn many villages in the area hold chestnut festivals: we write about them in Autumn in Campania: grape harvest and chestnut festivals. To compare this marron with the one from Irpinia, read The Montella IGP chestnut; all the protected products are in Campania's DOP and IGP products, and the area in The Cilento: what to do and what to see and Salerno and its surroundings.
Sources: Qualigeo – Marrone di Roccadaspide IGP.
Photo at top (Roccadaspide): Antonio Sabetta, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
