Chestnuts Roasted on a Portuguese Fire

I can recall in childhood some 54 yrs ago street vendors on the side of the street selling roasted chestnuts.  Have to be honest its a vivid memory but I think it was on a visit to London. Personally my memory is triggered more often than not by smell.  The recollection of a smell of something brings back the image of the scene.  It the case of the roasted chestnuts its more the smell of the coal created the heat that I recall.  In particular I can recall the smoke coming from the roaster.

                                                          The poisonous Horse Chestnut

Horse Chestnut

It was a time we were less environmentally aware and small of smoke was a sign fires were burning and you d be heading home out of the winter cold.  But eating roasted chestnuts on side of the street as Irish was a thing other nationalities done.  We looked on curiously in the cinema or early television with the thought some people would eat anything.

Not that we were short of chestnuts the Irish countryside has been full of Horse Chestnut Trees for unfortunately are poisonous if eaten.  I can remember as a young guy going  the "Big Park" in Waterford city in the South of Ireland and collection what we referred to as Congers.   They normally would have fallen from the majestic Horse Chestnut Trees the Inner nut was protected by a green outer shell which nature allowed to have small barbs or thorns.  Its European Cousin the edible version has somewhat hairy outer jacket.

Anyway the sole purpose of this Big Park expedition was to prepare for a game of conkers.  I was one of those seasonal childhood games.   Must confess was always curious how they started or who was the first in the season and how did the last guy know the time was up.   In fairness you really stood out from the crowd if you carried on a season game whose tome had passed.

Congers was a simple game you used a nail to put a hole in the chestnut.  Then ran a piece of twine or string tied a big knot at one end and you were ready for action.

Cantasha Roster in Lisbon

Lets move forward quite a few years I was sitting in a Irish/Portuguese family home in Lisbon. I was staying a in an magnificent self-catering apartment in the centre of Lisbon booked on www.goholidaylets.com.  I was asked would I stay for dinner and to my surprise we had meat stuffed with chestnuts or in Portuguese  castanhas. I was once again in self-catering accommodation in Lagos for a short stay having golf in Vilamoura.  I called to a Cafe Cisne  to see owner Anna and she produced some wonderful roasted castanhas to have with my coffee.  The were excellent rich wholesome taste far cry from the Hores Chestnut congers of the Big Park In Waterford many years ago. If you have self-catering accommodation in the Algarve make sure you list free with www.goholidaylets.com

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