2024-10-04 13:46:30
In high season, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Considered) is sounding the alarm: poison control centers are still confronted with cases of confusion between chestnuts (toxic) and chestnuts (edible). A confusion which can be the cause of poisoning… We tell you everything you need to know to avoid poisoning yourself !
Chestnut vs. brown: what difference(s)
The problem is that if we enjoy chestnuts, chestnuts are toxic! Hence the need to clearly distinguish the two! Among the notable differences? First of all, chestnut and chestnut do not come from the same tree:
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is the fruit of the chestnut tree, the chestnut (Castanea vulgaris) is the fruit of the chestnut tree.
The problem? We use the term ‘chestnut’ to designate the fruit of the chestnut tree on the packaging of many food products as much as in everyday language… Glazed chestnuts, chestnut cream, hot chestnuts, etc. are, in reality, products made from chestnuts! More precisely, it is actually a variety of chestnuts grown specifically for consumption. And no chestnuts.
The risk? Food poisoning caused by the consumption of horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum). These are toxic and can cause digestive problems (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, irritation, etc.). Don’t panic, there are ways to identify them. To reduce confusion, ANSES lists the differences between the edible chestnut and the toxic brown :
Observe the ‘packaging’: The chestnut ‘bug’ is brown and bristling with numerous fine spines. The chestnut bug is green, thick with smaller, spaced-out peaks. Count the number of fruits in the bug: The ‘bug’ contains 2 to 3 chestnuts. The chestnut bug generally contains only 1 large, round chestnut. Observe the environment. Chestnut trees are located in towns, alleys, courtyards… while chestnut trees are found in woods, forests, etc. Look at the leaves of the tree that gave the fruit: The leaves of the chestnut tree are made up of several small oval leaves (called ‘leaflets’) which give the whole leaf a webbed appearance. The leaves of the chestnut tree are simple.
Vomiting, abdominal pain, nausea… If there are signs of poisoning, call a poison control center or consult a doctor as soon as possible!
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