Mountain verdure

In northern Greece, the sight of chestnut trees in hilly regions is almost a given.


October is chestnut month for me. As you see busy street market stalls fill with these warm brown nutritious delicacies, you can't help but think of the verdant Edens they originated from, the cool breeze that swayed them in their burred cocoon through the late summer months, protected in the shade of their parent tree.

Greece produces 15,000 - 18,000 tons of chestnuts a year. Over 100 "chestnut towns" exist in the country with over 10,000 chestnut producers, making Greece the 6th top producing nation in the world (according to tridge.com, figures viewed Apr. 6, 2020).

In these emerald hillsides in northern Greece, chestnuts strewn on footpaths in October is a common sight.