Christmas
Nuts about Chestnuts by Stephanie Galea, Registered Nutritionist & founder of Nourish
As the weather gets colder and Christmas approaches, chestnut season begins. Unlike other nuts, chestnuts are relatively low in calories and contain far less fat. Notwithstanding they are still richly packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that benefit health. First and foremost, chestnuts are rich in starch and therefore release energy slowly and steadily in the body, helping to stabilise blood-sugar levels, and helping us to remain fuller for longer. They are also rich in dietary fibre, where 100g of roasted chestnuts provides 5g of fibre. Fibre in our diet is important for regular bowel movements and the health of our intestines. It also helps lower blood-cholesterol levels by absorbing excess cholesterol in our blood. Chestnuts are a very rich source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin which does not get stored in the body. We therefore need to be consuming this vitamin on a daily basis in order to have good health. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that protects our body from harmful toxins or free radicals. This vitamin is useful in helping wounds heal quickly and to prevent gums from bleeding. Vitamin C helps the absorption of iron from food or iron supplements and this is essential to prevent or treat anaemia.
Chestnuts are especially good for women trying to get pregnant due to their folic acid content. Folic acid is a vitamin especially essential in the first few weeks for pregnancy for the prevention of neural tube defects in a foetus. However this vitamin is also needed by all of us since folic acid is required for the formation of red blood cells and DNA synthesis. Over and above all these great nutrients chestnuts are also great sources of minerals such as manganese, copper, potassium, phosphorus and iron; and also vitamin B6, B1, B2, B5 and vitamin K. In Malta, come Christmas time, a popular chestnut recipe Imbuljuta is traditionally prepared as either a warming winter drink served after midnight mass or a dessert served after Christmas lunch.
Imbuljuta • • • • • • • • • •
By Matty Cremona
½ kilo Good Earth dried chestnuts The rind of 1 orange and 2 tangerines A piece of lemon rind 100g dark chocolate 4tbsp cocoa powder 4 heaped tbsp brown sugar 1 heaped tbsp white sugar 8 cloves 1tsp grated nutmeg 1tsp ground mixed spice
Wash the dried chestnuts, sort them out, removing any bad ones and soak them overnight in water. Next morning, rinse them well and remove any brown bits of loose skin on the chestnuts. Rinse them, cover them well with water bring them to the boil and simmer till just tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring back to the boil and simmer till the chestnuts are meltingly soft and have absorbed all the delicious flavours. Either serve this cold, at room temperature or warm it up with a tot of brandy to enjoy after midnight mass. Serves 8-10 portions
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Growing Up in Malta