"Sweet Chestnut King Competition!" - Easy recipes using sweet chestnuts included -

It's starting to feel like summer. How are you all doing?
The seasons change so quickly, it feels like the new year just started, and already summer is upon us.
When summer ends, autumn comes...
So it feels like autumn already.
 
"When I think of autumn, I think of chestnuts."
 
I was walking through Yokohama Chinatown, half forcing myself to say this.
There are really a lot of shops selling sweet chestnuts in Chinatown.

"Autumn is almost here, and I want to eat some delicious sweet chestnuts. But where should I buy them? Autumn is almost here."

That one question was the catalyst for this major project.

"Well then, let's decide which is the best sweet chestnut! Autumn is almost here!"

Yes. This project is based on our own research into the most popular sweet chestnuts that everyone is familiar with.
A new industry-first (personal research) initiative!
 
This is a collaborative project with the Yokohama Chinatown Development Association Cooperative Association called "The Sweet Chestnut King Selection!" - with easy recipes using sweet chestnuts !
 
Don't be fooled and just lump them all together as "sweet chestnuts".
Please take a look at this eye-opening project!

First, let's buy some delicious sweet chestnuts! What should we do?

First of all, you need to buy sweet chestnuts, and there are many places that sell them in Yokohama Chinatown.
It would be a bit of a pain to buy and eat all those chestnuts... No. It would take a lot of time, so I decided to look into the sweet chestnuts in Yokohama Chinatown.
I discovered that there are actually sweet chestnut stores in Yokohama Chinatown that have been certified as "Excellent Recommended Stores" by the Chinatown.
 
・Heichin Dai-Amaguri Chestnuts, Yokohama Chinatown Higashimon Branch
・Heichin Dai-Amaguri Chestnuts, Yokohama Chinatown Main Branch
・Heichin Large Sweet Chestnuts, Heichinro Yokohama Main Store Shop
・Heichin Large Sweet Chestnuts, Heichinsaryo Store
・Juangyuanlou Large Sweet Chestnuts
・Yokohama Dai-Ichi Hotel Large Sweet Chestnuts
・China Trading Corporation Chinatown Main Branch
 
As of 2014, there are 7 stores!
Only stores that meet the following standards are certified as excellent stores.
 
●The seller and contact information are clearly stated on the bag.
●The number of grams of sweet chestnuts in the bag is indicated. There are scales available in the store.
●We wear gloves when handling chestnuts and pay close attention to hygiene.
●The store name is displayed at the sales booth.
 
This is truly helpful information for those buying sweet chestnuts.
First of all, a little bit of trivia: you can't go wrong if you buy sweet chestnuts at this store.
 
"This will work!"
 
For this final competition, we received cooperation from the seven stores mentioned above, and purchased chestnuts to compare the taste.
First, let me introduce our store!
 
▽Check the detailed locations of each store here!
http://www.chinatown.or.jp/fact/column/amaguri
 
 
1st store: Heichindaiganuri Yokohama Chinatown Main Store
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/heichinrou/c/0000000235/

 
Heichin Dai-Amaguri Chestnuts are served at Heichinrou, a long-established Chinese restaurant with 130 years of history in Yokohama Chinatown.
Some of you may have noticed that 4 out of the 7 top stores mentioned above actually sell Heichin Daiamaguri.
The company manages everything from purchasing and selecting chestnuts in-house, and the finished chestnuts are then sorted again by hand by skilled craftsmen, making it a truly long-established company.
They also offer a sealed packaging service to accommodate shipments to long-distance locations, and it's no wonder that all four of their stores are highly rated.
All other stores are part of the same chain, so we will introduce them with photos below!
 

Left: Heichin Daiganuri (Sweet Chestnuts) Yokohama Chinatown Higashimon Branch / Right: Heichin Daiganuri (Sweet Chestnuts) Heichinro Yokohama Main Branch Shop
 

Left photo: Heichin Daiaamaguri Heichinsaryo Store / Right photo: This is the legendary proof of quality! All quality stores have this sign.
 
 
2nd store: Jogenro large sweet chestnuts
http://www.jogen.co.jp/jgr_yokohama/about/

 
Another long-established Shanghai cuisine restaurant, Zhuangyuanlou, was founded in 1955.
This is a well-known Shanghai cuisine restaurant, and not only the food but also the large sweet chestnuts have been certified as excellent!
Chestnuts that are properly managed by the manufacturer are not only of high quality but also have a sophisticated design that gives them a luxurious feel.
It's interesting to see that each store has a different design.
As expected, the solid attitude of a long-established store is proof of its excellence!
 
 
3rd store: China Trading Corporation Chinatown Main Store
http://www.ctrading.co.jp/honten.htm

 
The China Trading Company Chinatown Main Store is famous for having all kinds of Chinese and Asian ingredients, seasonings, and Chinese liquor.
Although the main products are food ingredients, they also sell freshly made sweet chestnuts in front of the store.
The design may be the most familiar bag you'll ever see, but the contents are completely different!
When I asked about it, I was told that the selling point of it is that it is cooked slowly over low heat so the flesh doesn't become tough.
Apparently, familiar regular customers come to buy the bread after checking that it is ready to bake!
 
 
4th store: Yokohama Daihanten Large Sweet Chestnuts
http://www.yokohamadaihanten.com/index.html

 
The Yokohama Dai-Ichi Hotel is located on the corner of Chinatown Boulevard and Zenrinmon Gate.
The large store looks familiar to everyone. It is based on the concept of "a restaurant where you can casually enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine."
As you would expect from this famous restaurant, the variety of options, from great value all-you-can-eat buffets to original desserts, is incredible.
One of these original products is the "Yokohama Dai-Ichi Hotel Large Sweet Chestnuts," which are sold in front of the store and have a design based on bright yellow that really catches your eye.
The sales staff's poses are also great!

All the ingredients (chestnuts) are here! Let's try some!

Once all the players (chestnuts) are finally gathered, the championship (tasting) begins!
No matter what, this guy always has a good attitude.
By the way, this is what the chestnuts look like when you take them out.
 

 
Please note that the condition of chestnuts may change depending on the day they were purchased and who cooked them.
The following content is entirely my own opinion and bias!!
*Since four of the seven top stores are the same brand, there are four players (types).
 

 
The grains are large and not sticky, and I felt that it felt the smoothest to the touch compared to other products.
Also, because they are particular about everything from management to the procurement of ingredients, there is surprisingly little variation in the size and firmness of the fruit!
It's very convenient that it doesn't get sticky on your hands, and it has just the right texture and sweetness.
It has a good texture and best of all, it has a strong original chestnut flavor!
 
 

 
There may be some variation depending on the bag, but it seemed like most of the fruit was round.
The skin is easy to peel and no matter how many you eat, it's not heavy.
I guess the sweetness varies slightly at each store...
It has a good texture and best of all, it has a strong original chestnut flavor!
 
 

 
Looking at the packaging alone, this one is probably the most familiar.
This has the firmest texture of all the chestnuts, so it may be the best for those who like sweet chestnuts with a stronger texture.
The chestnuts also had the darkest color, so this may be the difference because they were cooked slowly.
Above all, it has a strong, natural chestnut flavor!
 
 

 
I felt that it had the softest texture out of the four types.
It's more "moist" than soft...? The yellow packaging is cute and looks sweet, but the sweetness is elegant.
No matter how many you eat, it's not too heavy!
Above all, it has a strong, natural chestnut flavor!
 
 
I ate alone quite a bit...
 

 
Now, we have to decide who will be number one...
 
 
Which chestnut will come in first place?
 
 

Now let's decide who is number one!

When comparing them, you can see that they look slightly different and the taste varies from store to store.
But this has been an uphill battle.
Number one...we have to decide who's number one...
This is troublesome....
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
All the sweet chestnuts are incredibly delicious.
 
 
It's impossible to rank them. They're all delicious and each has their own merits!
Everybody wins now!
But there was something more bothering me than that.
 

 
What should I do with all these leftover chestnuts?
 
That's right! It's chestnuts, so let's cook them together with rice!
Even though they're sweet chestnuts, they're still chestnuts, so wouldn't it taste good if I put them in rice?
Besides, if ``sweet chestnut stock'' turns out to be something amazing, it could become a story, so let's do that!
 
The Sweet Chestnut Championship turned into quite a farce!
Is there any way to utilize leftover sweet chestnuts?
The article is in the final chapter!
 

Let's enjoy eating leftover sweet chestnuts!

After trying each one, I ended up with a lot of leftover sweet chestnuts, so I put them in the rice cooker on a whim...
Even if it failed, it would still make an article, so I was hoping it would be interesting, and then the rice was cooked!
 

 
Hmm? Something's wrong... It's cooking better than I expected...
I was expecting it to look a little bad or have a strange smell, but it actually tastes really good.
It's true that the rice cooker we just bought at home is made by Zoukei and is a great device that can even toast bread, but that doesn't seem to be the cause of the problem.
But if I scoop it up with a rice scoop, it might not look good...
 

 
Hmm... that's strange... it looks more delicious than I expected.
But it might be too sweet for me to eat...chomp.
 
Oh my goodness... it was better than I expected! Actually, it was really tasty!!
 
Even though it is cooked by just adding peeled sweet chestnuts, the aroma and flavor are strong, and even though it is cooked in a rice cooker,
It's a miracle that the chestnuts don't become soggy and remain perfectly intact.
This is a really great way to use up leftover chestnuts.
The recipe is as simple as "cook rice with sweet chestnuts". It's hard to find such an easy recipe.
By the way, after doing some research, I found out that making chestnut rice is quite a common method, and it is recommended to use sweet chestnuts that have become hard for making chestnut rice.
But Magcal doesn't end here.
You don't think that the subtitle - Easy recipes using sweet chestnuts included - is all there is to it, do you?
I would like you to see this.
 

Cooking and recipes provided by: Akiko Inoue
 
What a thing to say.
 
What do you think? This menu was made entirely with the help of female staff, and everything except the rice uses sweet chestnuts.
And it was really delicious. So delicious that I forgot to take pictures of each dish.
By the way, the menu shown in the photo is
 
●Sweet chestnut bean paste dorayaki (sweet chestnut cream cheese bean paste)
●Japanese-style sweet chestnut potage soup
Japanese-style tuna carpaccio with sweet chestnut dressing
●Sweet chestnut rice
*See the last page for the recipe.
 
There are a total of 4 types!
The combination of sweet chestnuts and cream cheese in the dorayaki is excellent, and the texture of the chestnuts when you eat it is amazing.
Also, the sweet chestnut potage seemed incredibly sweet at first glance, but it was refreshing and had a fragrant aroma, and I personally prefer it to the corn potage.
The Japanese-style tuna carpaccio is topped with a dressing containing sweet chestnuts, which adds a nice texture and a slight sweetness to the chopped chestnuts.
It's great not only as a side dish, but also as a snack to go with alcohol.
The sweet chestnut rice is a version with slightly added seasonings, but even just a little bit of seasoning makes a huge difference in how delicious it is.
It's delicious enough without adding it, but it's quite light on its own, so
If you want the sweet chestnut rice to have a strong flavor on its own, you may want to add some seasonings.
It was truly an eye-opener for me to discover how sweet chestnuts can be used in so many different dishes.
 
 
In the end, I was not able to decide which was the best sweet chestnut, but in any case, if you are going to buy sweet chestnuts, you can't go wrong if you buy them from a "recommended store."
I hope the article has helped you understand.
I also never imagined that sweet chestnuts could be used in so many culinary applications, so I was truly surprised when I wrote this article.
In the past, many sweet chestnuts were wasted because they could not be eaten and they rotted, or the flesh became hard and inedible.
As someone who has had bad experiences in the past, I am truly in awe of the potential these sweet chestnuts have.
We would also like to thank the Yokohama Chinatown Development Association for giving us permission to carry out this relaxed project.
We would like to thank the seven highly recommended stores who kindly agreed to be interviewed.

A list of recipes using sweet chestnuts!

●Sweet chestnut bean paste dorayaki (4 pieces)
 
【material】
・80ml water
・50g sugar
・1 egg
・100g mochi flour
 
Mix the water, sugar, and eggs in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the mochi flour and mix well until there are no lumps.
After frying in a Teflon-coated frying pan, sandwich the filling in between.
 
[Pasta] Sweet chestnut cream cheese paste
・180g cream cheese *Adjust to your liking
・150g sweet chestnuts
・5 walnuts
・100g water
・30g sugar
・20g corn syrup *adjust to taste
 
Put water and sugar in a pot to make a syrup, then add the sweet chestnuts and simmer for a while.
Put it in a food processor and mix it evenly (if the sweet chestnuts are hard, heat them in the microwave until they reach your desired hardness), then add the starch syrup and mix until evenly combined. Adjust the sweetness with the starch syrup. Mix it with the cream cheese and sandwich it between the dough.
 
 
●Japanese-style sweet chestnut potage soup (serves 4)
 
・40g sweet chestnuts
・1/2 onion
・1/2 shimeji mushroom
・Daikon radish (approximately 3cm)
・1 consommé
・1 teaspoon miso
・Soy milk *Adjust to your liking
・30g butter
・Salt (to taste)
 
Saute onion, daikon radish, and shimeji mushrooms in butter until soft, season with salt, add water, sweet chestnuts, and consommé, and simmer.
Blend in a food processor, add soy milk and miso, and heat without bringing to a boil.
Add soy milk to taste until it reaches the desired creaminess. It's also delicious cold, so if you prefer it cold, chill it in the refrigerator.
 
 
Japanese-style tuna carpaccio with sweet chestnut dressing
 
・1 pack for tuna sashimi
・Mizuna (a suitable amount)
・Radish (as needed)
 
[Sweet chestnut dressing]
・Sesame oil
·soy sauce
·vinegar
・Sweet chestnuts (as needed)
・Chili pepper (as needed)
 
*Sesame oil: soy sauce: vinegar = 1:1:1
Heat the chili peppers and sesame oil over low heat. When the aroma and spiciness come out, turn off the heat, let it cool, and mix with soy sauce and vinegar.
Dice the sweet chestnuts into small pieces and add them to the dressing. Pour the dressing over the tuna and salad.
 
 
●Sweet chestnut rice
 
・3 cups of rice
・Sweet chestnuts (as many as you like)
・600cc water
・3 tablespoons of sake
・1 teaspoon salt
 
Place the ingredients in the rice cooker and switch it on.