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châtaignes or marrons?


Cat

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The Corrèze magasine arrived yesterday. There is an article about chestnuts in it, Corrèze being the fourth largest chestnut producer in France. Under the heading Chataigne ou marron it is stated that they come from the same tree. The chataigne is cloisonnée - several in the outer casing- wheras the marro tends to have only one nut in the outer casing.  If less than 15% are cloisonnées it is a marron otherwise it is a chestnut. The poisonous conker or marron d'inde is roughly similar but always single , the outer case is not so spiny and the fruit has no pointy bit on the top. I find it hard to believe that people do not know what a conker looks like but after watching Jamie Oliver trying to interest people in cooking last night I will believe anything.
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what is confusing is that chataignes are calles marron in many instances - like creme de marrons, ou marrons glacés-

I though most people knew the difference betw. a conker, or horse-chestnut, and the edible chestnut? Not many of the later in the Midlands, but I used to collect them by the bucket full in Richmond Park - as well as tons of Parasol mushrooms

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