Chestnut flour

Chestnut flour in antiquity was obtained by grinding dried chestnuts. The product was dried in a chestnut drying hut, (metato, casone, etc.) and equipped with a ceiling (latticework) made of wooden strips, appropriately spaced so as not to let small chestnuts pass. The hut could be purpose-built in the woods or was the farmer’s own kitchen.

The chestnuts harvested were then spread in a layer few dozen centimetres deep on the latticework and under it, on the floor in the middle of the room, a fire was kept lit for over a month, using solid pieces of seasoned chestnut wood. The chestnuts therefore acquired a slightly smoky flavour.

The flour was then tightly pressed into a wooden chest so as to eliminate air and protect against insect infestation. Then it was broken off in pieces with a sort of chisel, chopped and sifted.