Zhen'an Sugar-Fried Large Chestnuts

Zhen'an Sugar-Fried Large Chestnuts

　　Zhen'an large chestnuts have earned their reputation for their large size, sweet and crisp texture, and high starch content. As early as the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, merchants in ancient Chinese cities such as Beijing, Chang’an (today’s Xi’an), Taiyuan, and Luoyang were already branding their product as “Zhen'an Sugar-Fried Large Chestnuts.”

The Zhen'an chestnut tree is an indigenous species belonging to the Fagaceae family, a naturally grown deciduous tree. It is distributed across all counties in Shangluo. According to an investigation by the Dried Fruit Research Office of the Central Forestry Ministry in 1960, the ancestral origin of the chestnut tree was identified as Liwan Hall (now under Zhashui County) in the Zhongqiaogou and Xiaomuling mountain ranges in Huilong Township, Zhen'an County, and was classified as an excellent variety. In 1970, the large chestnuts of Zhen'an County were included in the textbook *Chinese Fruit Tree Cultivation*. In 1978, the Shaanxi Fruit Tree Research Institute added Zhen'an large chestnuts to the *Shaanxi Fruit Tree Chronicles*.

Zhen'an large chestnut trees are grafted from local wild chestnut trees. The process is as follows: every spring, fruit farmers cut branches 150 to 200 cm long from chestnut trees and graft them onto 30 to 50 cm thick wild chestnut tree stems with the tops cut evenly. They then seal the joint wounds tightly with sticky mud. Once the grafted branches sprout and survive, they grow into large chestnut trees. The growth rate of chestnut trees is directly related to the care provided during their early years. Typically, they begin to bear fruit in 3 to 4 years, have full fruit clusters on the branches in 7 to 8 years, and enter their prime fruit-bearing period between 10 and 15 years. The trees flower in May, fruit after the blossoms fall, and ripen between August and September. The fruit is encased in a spiky green husk, which bursts open upon ripening to reveal the large chestnuts inside. Each husk contains 2 to 3 fruits. The chestnuts are flat and round, brownish in color, with fine hairs at the shell opening and a thin membrane where the fruit touches the shell. The flesh is ivory-colored. Each chestnut weighs approximately 35 to 45 grams.

Zhen'an large chestnuts are rich in nutrition and deliciously sweet and crisp. Tests show they contain 72.38% starch and 4.7% sugar, with about 14 grams of sugar per 100 grams—comparable to the sugar content of an equal amount of flour and twice that of sweet potatoes. Although the protein content in chestnuts is only half that of an equal amount of flour, they far exceed rice or flour in terms of vitamin C, carotene, and riboflavin, and are comparable to rice and flour in calcium and phosphorus content. Yet, chestnuts are tasty and suitable for both the old and young, making them a renowned woody grain. Additionally, raw chestnuts also serve as a medicinal remedy. For those suffering from kidney deficiency or weak waist and legs, eating 3 to 5 raw chestnuts daily and chewing them slowly can gradually improve strength. For those with bruises, bone or muscle swelling, or splinters stuck in the skin, mashing fresh chestnuts into a paste and applying it to the affected area can relieve pain, stop bleeding, and draw out pus.