Product Review: Galil Organic Roasted Chestnuts

(Given that I associate chestnuts with Thanksgiving, I am a little over a week late with this post…but Thanksgiving was quite different this year anyway so I guess it is fitting…)

Growing up, my family spent most Thanksgivings with my maternal grandparents. Sometimes they come to Boston (I remember them leaving New York first thing in the morning so they could pick up fresh, hot bagels and cookies and be at our house for breakfast). Other years, we would go to New York to visit (and once or twice saw the Macy’s Day Parade. (Side note: (it is weird to even think about a family Thanksgiving, let alone these huge “crowd” events right now with the pandemic…) Spending time with my grandparents was always the most special part. However, being Thanksgiving (and a Jewish household…and New York…and grandparents in general…), the food was a big part of the experience.

While my Grandma did most of the cooking, my Grandpa had a few specialities, one of which we only ate on Thanksgiving. Each year he would cut an “X” into chestnuts and then put them in the oven for a long time. It was always exciting to see if they were (finally) ready. He would burn his hands opening the “test chestnut” and then burn his mouth tasting it but he knew just when they were done. When I was too young to peel them myself, he or my father would peel them and I would eat them (I think I had the better job!). They were always such a treat and I continue to request them–but peel them myself!–each year to (years after my Grandfather died.) Despite how much I like them, they are a “once a year” treat and I never even thought about them the rest of the year.

Until a few years ago…while shopping for Passover food, I noticed that individual bags of peeled chestnuts. I decided that, given how difficult it can be to find good, convenient food on Passover, they were worth a try. Since then, I have eaten them a few times on Passover each year. Then we started buying them when they are on the huge Passover sales after the holiday ends because they are actually really good, healthy, and easy to take along places. However, when the “Passover stash” ran out, I missed them. They are not always easy to find and tend to be quite expensive, especially for such smalll bags.

Well, well, well, I saw them at Costco awhile ago but decided that I was “too busy” with my other snacks from there. Consistent with so many items at Costco (It’s Gone? Discontinued Products), they were gone. A few weeks ago, I spotted them and bought a few boxes (each box has 6 individual packs of chestnuts). They are still relatively expensive for a Costco snack (after all, they are organic and “Kosher for Passover and all year round”) but definitely less expensive than in the grocery stores.

I have had two or three different brands and while the size of the chestnuts differs across brands, the taste is essentially the same. They are soft but firm, slightly sweet, and filling without being leaving me feeling stuffed. The small packages are also very convenient for taking places and the nuts themselves are easy to eat neatly. The package says that they are good warmed up in the microwave too but I have not tried that–even though I love the hot chestnuts on Thanksgiving. Although the work of peeling them (and then cleaning up the huge mess from the shells)  on the holiday makes them even more rewarding, it sure it nice to just pick them out of these bags and eat! 

Do you eat hot chestnuts for the holidays?

Have you ever seen or tried these roasted Chestnuts?

How did you manage Thanksgiving this year?