If you walk along the street in London, you might see chestnuts on the ground after the rain. These edible nuts, hidden in spiny yellow-brown shells, can be cooked in various ways. Raw chestnuts are sold in supermarkets in winter because eating roasted chestnuts is seen as a Christmas tradition.

There are four main types of chestnuts, namely American, European, Chinese and Japanese chestnuts. Chinese chestnuts date back thousands of years with the first mention in books around 6,000 years ago. Today, China is the world’s largest chestnut producing country, and Hebei Province in north China is a major contributor. 

Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, chestnuts favor ample sunshine and mildly acidic soil. The chestnut trees grown on slopes usually produce fruit with better quality. A 2,500-year-old chestnut tree in Hebei's Xingtai county still produces 100 kilograms of chestnuts every year. The fruit tastes sweeter than others.

Known as “the hometown of chestnuts in China,” Qianxin county in Hebei Province enjoys mild temperature, long hours of sunshine and bountiful rainfall, which make for delicious chestnuts. The county now produces 24,000 tons of chestnuts and exports 10 million kilograms of the nut to countries like Japan, Australia and some Southeast Asian countries.

Japan originally imported chestnuts from China's Tianjin port. A bag of “Tianjin Chestnut” appeared in an episode of the Japanese manga series Crayon Shin-chan. Although they are known as “Tianjin Chestnut,” the imported chestnuts were actually produced in Beijing, Hubei Province and other places in China.

In cuisine, the chestnut is an important ingredient. Chestnuts can be roasted or made into flour for cakes and bread. Stewed chicken with chestnuts is also a famous dish in many regions of China.

From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rainforests hidden in the southwest, China boasts an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most representative flora in different provinces and see how they live in harmony with the local geography and climate.

(Cover image designed by CGTN's Jia Jieqiong)

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