Mandrau Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 A question I have been trying to find a definative answer for years.What is the difference between Chataignier and Marron, I have been told they are not the same several times, even the people who sell both on the same stall cannot say what the difference is, they look the same, taste the same and are used the same way, but are different prices, Marron being more expensive!!Has anyone out there any idea???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Well. I have just asked the Froggie.....A marron is our conker. A chataigne is more pointed...I know.I asked about marron glace and he says it is a chataigne "marroned".I will just go and look at the level in the Ricard bottle...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moon Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 My understanding is that a marron is the fruit of a horse chestnut, thus a conker, whilst a chataigne is the fruit of a sweet chestnut from which you can make all sorts of goodies. At the fete de chataignes in Eguzon we had chestnut soup, followed by roast chestnut and bousson (sp) blanc followed by chestnut ice cream all washed down with rough cider/apple juice freshly pulped in the square.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I think that's right, Bob. But confusingly, I seem to recall that a marron grows on a tree called a chataignier, while a chataigne grows on a tree called a marronnier... Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandrau Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 I have just found an answer to some of my question on a French botanical site, It said Marron and Chataigne are the fruit of the same tree the Chataignier.In a market they are both sold and are edible being the same fruit. I think it is possible that the Marron (also know to us as the Spanish chestnut) is imported and the Chataigne is locally grown.I will try to pursue this further if I can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 As explained to me ('cos I was as mixed up as everyone else)Maron - sweet chestnut - single nut in the spikey shell = bigChataigne - sweet chestnut - twin or triplet nuts in the shell = smaller = useful for pate and farine, where the size of the nut is not important Horse chestnut - Maron d'Inde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianpmills Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 My understanding is that a marron and a chataigne are both sweet chestnuts. A marron d'Inde is a horse chestnut.The explanation I have been given by a neighbour for the difference in sweet chestnuts is that a marron is commercially cultivated from a grafted tree. Chataignes are wild. The marron is generally larger, the chataigne generally tastes better.Sounds plausible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Then what is a conker? Maybe Will knows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moon Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 [quote]Then what is a conker? Maybe Will knows...[/quote]Maron d'Inde = horse chestnut = conker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 But sadly they all lie around the trees rotting, because French kids don't know what to do with them! Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandrau Posted October 7, 2005 Author Share Posted October 7, 2005 [quote]My understanding is that a marron and a chataigne are both sweet chestnuts. A marron d'Inde is a horse chestnut. The explanation I have been given by a neighbour for the difference in sweet chestnut...[/quote]That is the most plausible explanation I have heard after asking around .The surprising thing was that the people who sell them do not know and I have seen that sometimes the small ones are sold as marron which if the seller is reasonably honest your explanation makes sense.I shall eat my chestnut stuffing this year with a light heart!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 I thought the difference was that one of theses nuts has a white wispy tail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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