The chestnut, a star ingredient in Malaga with its own autumn festivals

Many are still surprised by the way chestnuts are prepared in Malaga. "In Zaragoza, they don't peel them this well!" remarks a pair of tourists at one of the historic stalls on the Alameda Principal, near Atarazanas. When asked about the perfect touch for roasted chestnuts, few sellers reveal their secrets: "Everyone has their own way, that's not something we can share," laughs the chestnut seller at this stall, which has been passed down from his great-grandmother and, more recently, from his mother, Ana Santiago Córdoba. "I remember photos of my great-grandmother dressed in period clothing with her stall right next to the tram here," the seller recalls.

The chestnut tradition in Malaga province dates back to the 1950s, originating in the Serranía de Ronda, specifically in the Genal valley. Towns such as Igualeja, Pujerra, and Parauta hold the largest forested areas, but together with Genalguacil, Jubrique, Yunquera, Júzcar, Cartajima, Faraján, Alpandeire, Benadalid, and Benalauría, they form what's known as the 'Copper Forest'. This is one of the most beautiful autumn scenes in the province's interior, and its name is a metaphor for the colours of this natural landscape.

For many residents of these towns in Malaga, chestnuts are their primary source of income. This is true for Manuel Aguilar's family with Castañas Blas, a company in Igualeja with 40 years of experience.

"We start in September and finish in January; we used to only sell to street vendors, but now we also distribute to markets. The price of chestnuts has kept rising, and they're becoming harder to find. Additionally, we face more challenges now as many chestnuts we source are not suitable. Sometimes we end up discarding 40% of what we purchase," explains Manuel Aguilar, distributor at Castañas Blas.

Recently, Asaja Málaga (farmers' agricultural association) raised concerns about chestnuts: "This year's harvest is seeing a drastic reduction due to a combination of adverse factors, primarily water scarcity, the chestnut gall wasp infestation, and ink disease, a fungus severely affecting chestnut trees in the region. If this trend continues, chestnut cultivation could have only a few decades left in the province," the association warned in a statement.

This is part of what goes unseen behind the famous paper cones of roasted chestnuts that are sold on street corners in the city at this time of year. Chestnuts go far beyond that. They're even incorporated into a wide range of dishes: from salads, breads, and stews to flans, jams, chocolates, candied chestnuts, and various desserts. Many restaurants and chefs in the Genal valley use them as a star ingredient, one of whom is Iván Sastre, known as 'the chestnut chef' at La Bodega del Bandolero in Júzcar.

The chef arrived in the Serranía de Ronda 20 years ago and has not stopped creating and reinventing chestnut recipes since. "It's quite a versatile product. I just added the traditional 'piononos' (traditional Spanish sweet) to my menu but made with marron glacé chestnut cream. I also make a bread that people really enjoy because it's unusual. We make the flour from chestnuts, which gives the bread a wonderful flavour and is full of beneficial properties," explains Iván Sastre, who also prepares a seasonal stew with chickpeas, chestnuts, and sweet potatoes. "There are dishes with chestnuts on my menu pretty much all year round," he adds.

The 'chestnut chef' was fascinated by the number of chestnut trees in the area when he arrived in the Genal valley. That's why he began treating chestnuts as an essential ingredient in his dishes. "Before, they were only roasted, but now they're truly part of the cuisine in a variety of recipes," he said. However, he cannot help but feel concerned about the situation: "The reality is that the drought is uncontrollable, and it's making the raw material scarcer. It's a shame, but without water, we have nothing," the chef explains.

Now, in the midst of chestnut season, the popular 'tostones' (roasted chestnut festivals) are celebrated—many of which have been declared provincial tourist singular festivals—and they typically begin around November 1st. During these festivities, it's customary to roast chestnuts and pair them with a drink: in Ojén, at the Fiesta del Tostón Popular, they are enjoyed with anise; in towns like Pujerra or Arriate, they are accompanied by mistela - a traditional anise-flavoured liqueur. Arriate also hosts the Fiesta de la Castaña on the weekend closest to the start of November; in Yunquera, the tradition continues with the Fiesta del Vino and the Castaña.

The world of chestnuts knows no bounds in Malaga province, extending far beyond the nearly fifty autumn stalls in the city. It starts with the growers, moves to the distributors, and continues in the hands of the chestnut sellers, the consumers, and the chefs, who create genuine works of art with this product, which is undoubtedly one of the historical staples of the province's cuisine.