Chestnut Honey of Tuscany - 400g

Chestnut forests are among those most domesticated by mankind. Planned to allow the chestnuts to be gathered, they are kept clean, free from fallen leaves, and planted on accessible terrain. A chestnut forest resembles an olive groove more than a forest of oaks or ilexes, and must be cared for by the hand of man.
In springtime, far from the harvest season, the woods are cool and exceedingly vast, with well-spaced trees with powerful, firmly rooted trucks. The chestnut is a tree that can live to an advanced age and grow to a majestic size.
It was the Romans who imported the chestnut tree from the Near East, to enjoy its delicious fruit. But the massive diffusion of chestnut forests in our mountains is much more recent, dating back to the 19th century. For over a hundred years chestnuts were one of the most important foods for vast stratums of the population. After the war many chestnut woods were abandoned. Today chestnut-growing is making a comeback and chestnuts, no longer disdained as “poverty food”, are enjoying ever-growing esteem among gourmets.

Chestnut woods grow along the whole Apennine chain, often overlooking small villages, as testimony to the important place they have always held with our mountain dwellers.
In Tuscany the chestnut tree grows over much of the Apennine territory, particularly in the Upper Versilia and around Mount Amiata. Here the woods cover great stretches of land far from roads, protected against pollution and populated in summer by swarms of bees intent on gathering nectar.
The chestnut tree blooms, depending on the altitude, in the months of June and July. The chestnut blossom, not particularly beautiful, is a long yellowish cluster with a sharp smell, sticky to the touch, rich in pollen and nectar. A chestnut grove in flower can be recognized from far away.

Bees seem to go crazy when they find chestnut blossoms, becoming excited and even aggressive around the hive. Every day they collect the nectar fervently, even in the dark, after sunset.  
Chestnut honey is rich in fructose and crystallizes only after a long time. Dark in color, ranging from brown to black, it has a strong, intense smell, woody and slightly tannic (due to the tannin in the tree, traces of which remain in the honey). Grains of chestnut pollen, impalpable, are found in chestnut honey.

The flavor is decidedly particular, not very sweet and with an almost bitter aftertaste, highly appreciated by those who are not fond of sweets. 
It is a perfect honey for delicious contrasts, splendid with aged cheeses or hearty meat dishes, just the thing for unusual and very tasty combinations.