Marron glace
Photo: FOU D'IMAGES - Vincent Favre Félix · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

Marron glace, candied chestnuts, has been made at Stratta on Piazza San Carlo in Turin since 1836 and the family supplied the House of Savoy. The marrons are the larger sweet-chestnut cultivar from the Cuneo hills; the candying process takes several days of slow syrup penetration. Today they cost about 4 euros each and appear at every formal Piedmontese table for Christmas.

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Common allergens: Sulphites

Make it at home

Yield 20Hands-on 2 hrTotal 72 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 20 large fresh chestnuts (marroni), scored crosswise
  • 500g caster sugar
  • 500 ml water
  • 1 vanilla pod, split

Method

  1. Boil the chestnuts in water for 8 minutes; peel them while warm, keeping each marron whole.
  2. Make a syrup with sugar, water and vanilla; bring to a simmer.
  3. Submerge the peeled chestnuts in the warm syrup; cover, let stand 24 hours at room temperature.
  4. Day 2: bring the syrup back to a low simmer for 3 minutes; let stand 24 hours.
  5. Day 3: repeat the simmer, then lift the marrons out onto a wire rack; dry overnight in a 50 C oven with the door cracked.
  6. Wrap each marron in silver-foil paper; keep in an airtight tin.

Tip from the editors. Peel the marrons gently to keep them whole; broken pieces become marron glace creme rather than the canonical wrapped sweet.

Where to eat marron glace

Marron glace in Turin

Pasticceria Stratta 1836 ★ 4.6

€ BakeryRoyal House confectioneryCentro StoricoWalk-in only

Stratta on Piazza San Carlo in Turin has confected since 1836, supplier to the Royal House. Marron glace from the basement lab, jellies, hazelnut pralines.

Worth the queueMarron glace candied chestnuts

Directions

Caffe Baratti & Milano ★ 4.2

€€ €10-20BrunchHistoric Liberty cafe brunchCentro Storico

Baratti & Milano on Piazza Castello in Turin is the all-day cafe option: bicerin, cornetto, savoury tartine and a gianduiotto on the saucer in the Liberty.

OrderBicerin, cornetto, gianduiotto on the saucer

Directions

Caffe Platti 1875 ★ 4.4

€ CaféCrocetta

Caffe Platti on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Turin opened in 1875. Luigi Einaudi and Pavese drank coffee here; Juventus was founded on a bench out front.

DrinkEspresso and bicerin

Directions

Pasticceria Pfatisch ★ 4.6

€ BakeryLiberty-era patisserie and chocolateCrocettaWalk-in only

Pfatisch on Via Sacchi in Turin has baked since 1915, in its Pietro Fenoglio Liberty rooms since 1921. Suppliers to the Royal House, Pavese was a regular.

Worth the queueBonet, marron glace, gianduiotti

Directions

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