Marrone di San Zeno PDO is a fresh chestnut belonging to the Castanea sativa Miller species, which can be traced back to the Marrone variety.
Production Method
The chestnut trees must be planted at an altitude of between 250 and 900 metres above sea level. Picking can either be carried out by hand or by machine, ensuring that both the plant and the fruit remain in their entirety. Before being put on the market, the chestnuts are subjected to traditional preserving techniques, such as the novena and rissara techniques: the first consists of keeping the fruit immersed in water for nine days, changing part or all of the water every two days and without any kind of additive; the second involves the fruit and cupules being left together outside for 8-15 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Marrone di San Zeno PDO is medium-large in size (50-120 achenes/kg). Its external shell is thin and shiny, with a light chestnut brown colour and darker streaks. The seed is straw yellow in colour and slightly wrinkled, with a pasty texture and a pleasantly sweet flavour.
Production Area
The production area of Marrone di San Zeno PDO is within parts of the territory of the municipalities of Brentino Belluno, Brenzone, Caprino Veronese, Costermano, Ferrara di Monte Baldo and San Zeno di Montagna, in the Province of Verona, in the Veneto region.
History
Chestnut production has represented an important economic resource for the mountain community of Monte Baldo for many years. The first historical references to chestnut tree cultivation dates back to the Middle Ages. Several documents from between the XII and XIX centuries mention the production areas in the cadastral survey, describing the prosperous development of chestnuts, as well as harvesting methods and the sale of chestnuts at weekly markets, a tradition which returned after the Second World War. Furthermore, a public research in the Atti dell’Accademia di Agricoltura, Scienze e Lettere di Verona concentrates on the harvesting, preservation and sale of chestnuts, which towards the end of the last century were sold to shops or directly at the weekly market in Caprino Veronese. Finally, in the 1920s, the Municipality of San Zeno di Montagna began to host the traditional chestnut festival, which today is known as the Chestnut Market Exhibition.
Gastronomy
Marrone di San Zeno PDO should be kept in a cool, dry place. It can be consumed either fresh or processed, roasted using characteristic perforated pans or boiled in water. It can also be used in delicious desserts such as chestnut cake and tronchetto (a kind of chocolate log), as well as for making bread, pasta and polenta. It goes well with the local wine of the area, Bardolino, which is excellent in both its Novello or Recioto versions. The most typical dish, which actually precedes Marrone di San Zeno PDO, is chestnut soup, a mountain variant of the classic Venetian bean soup.
Marketing
The product is marketed as Marrone di San Zeno PDO. It is sold fresh during the autumn period, in bags and packets weighing either 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 kg. The larger sized packaging of 25 and 50 kg must be made of jute or other suitable materials.
Distinctive Features
Marrone di San Zeno PDO has a moderate size compared with other varieties of sweet chestnuts. It has a particularly strong sweet flavour and a pasty texture. The fruit is rich in starch and has high energetic and nutritional values.
