Chestnut flour

Chestnut flour is made from chestnuts that are dried and ground into flour. In Tuscany, where chestnut flour has a long tradition and protected status for regional types such as the flour of the Lunigiana, it is made by slow, steady grinding in stone mills.

The flour has a particularly sweet flavor, a velvety feel to the touch and a fine texture on the palate. It is pale beige and has a rich, nutty aroma.

It contains no wheat gluten, so it is used in traditional cakes, fritters, crepes and sweets, often mixed with other flours or eggs to hold things together. Because it is naturally sweet, recipes can use less sugar.