© Aurelio Barattini
Tuscany area is abundant in chestnut trees which in Italian are called “castagnos”. Chestnut flour is quite popular and is usually used to bake a “castagnaccio”. This is a dense, flat and heavy cake studded with dried fruits and nuts.
The stuffing depends on baker’s creativity and fantasy. The best time to taste a piece of castagnaccio is autumn. Chestnut season runs from August to October. Therefore, castagnaccio is also named “autumnal cake”.
