“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” sings Nat King Cole on the holiday classic The Christmas Song. That iconic first line, first recorded in the 1940s, signals that Christmas has truly begun. But while most people no longer actually roast chestnuts on an open fire, this holiday snack is far from a thing of the past—it’s just far easier now to pop them in the oven. Here’s more on the treasured Christmas tradition, plus vegan recipe ideas. So, load up Spotify, stick on Cole’s famous song, and get roasting.
Why do we roast chestnuts during the holidays?
Chestnuts used to be a common sight across North America. It’s hard to imagine now, but according to Tasting Table, during the 18th and 19th centuries, the entire East Coast of the US was covered in almost 4 billion gigantic chestnut trees. Things changed in the early 20th century, however, when most of these trees were…