Description
The Castanha da Padrela PDO chestnuts come from the Castanea sativa Mill tree, including the Judia variety (80% of the total), Lada, Negral, Côta, Longal and Preta varieties.
Production Area
Castanha da Padrela PDO chestnuts are grown in the municipal areas of Chaves, Murça, Valpaços and Vila Pouca de Aguiar, in the district of Vila Real.
Production Method
The chestnut is a tree that thrives in the cold climate of this area, and the warmth of the summer favours the growth of plentiful, sweet and well calibrated nuts. The rich, organic soil produces excellent chestnut woods. To ensure that the chestnuts are perfectly ripe they are only gathered from the ground when the skins have split open naturally. Only the whole, perfect and unspoilt nuts are harvested.
Appearance and Flavour
Castanha da Padrela PDO does not exceed 90 nuts per kg; they are brown with lighter or darker brown lines across them, depending on the variety of tree. They are round in shape and are naturally shiny. They are richly flavoured.
History
The history of the Castanha da Padrela PDO is linked to the thousand year presence of chestnut woods in the Trás-os-Montes area, due very much to the care given to these trees by the local rural population. The people of this area have established a special relationship with, and an inter-dependence of considerable importance on the chestnut tree and its nuts, which was their main form of nourishment for many years and was even used as a form of currency for the payment of land rents in the 13th century.
Gastronomy
Castanha da Padrela PDO chestnuts can be stored just as they are or they may be frozen, made into conserve or bottled in syrup, these last are known as caldas. The chestnut plays an important part in the regional gastronomy not only to be eaten at table or used as flour for certain desserts but they are also used as a substitute for potatoes with roast pork.
Marketing
These chestnuts are sold as Castanha da Padrela PDO in the following varieties: castanha fresca or castanha transformada, which may be peeled, frozen, in syrup or a conserve. They are sold in transparent plastic containers in the following weights: 250 gr, 500 gr, 1 kg and 2 kg.
Distinctive Features
Castanha da Padrela PDO chestnuts are an important source of animal feed in this area, particularly for the Bísaro Transmontano PDO breed of pig, conferring its distinctive taste to the pork, sausages and hams traditionally produced in this region.
