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Vanessa Melgar
Ronda
Monday, 3 February 2025, 19:37
Isabel and Juan are an institution in Ronda. They are the local chestnut sellers, a married couple who have been in the trade for 25 years, for which the town hall recently wanted to recognise their work and their contribution to keeping the trade alive with the presentation of a commemorative plaque. Both of them, along with their stall for roasting and selling this savoury fruit, form part of the daily scene that depicts life in the central location that is Plaza del Socorro, near its junction with Carrera Espinel, better known as Calle La Bola, the main shopping street in the town. The square is a hive of activity for Ronda residents, visitors from nearby towns and villages and tourists alike, a place where Isabel and Juan are, and have been, regulars for many years.
They both started in the trade a quarter of a century ago, together with another couple, their 'compadres', who finally crossed the provincial border to go and live in La Línea (Cadiz). "The two of us stayed, but there were also other chestnut sellers, including 'El Rano', who died", said Isabel. Today, they are the only chestnut sellers still active in Ronda.
They have always been in Plaza del Socorro although, when they started out, they were installed closer to Calle La Bola. "When they remodelled Plaza del Socorro, they suggested that we move a little more into the square", said Isabel, this Ronda resident who has seen how this iconic square in the town has changed, which initially had a very distinctive black and white pavement. "There was also the Delgado pharmacy, Costa Sol.... And here we are, still going", jokes Isabel with a smile and a friendly expression that have surely also contributed to the loyalty of her customers.
She said that she has regulars, people from Ronda, who come every afternoon to get their portion of roast chestnuts, all wrapped up in recycled newspaper. "But we sell more to tourists, that's the truth. The Asians, above all, are very taken aback, it attracts their attention. We also sell the fruit of the strawberry tree [madroño], when in season, and they mistake them for lychees."
Isabel and Juan's stall displays a sign announcing the price per portion, 1.50 euros. It is in several languages: "We wrote 'castañas asadas' in Spanish, and many customers of other nationalities have been writing the translation of roast chestnuts in their own languages", said this proud native of Ronda. She is equally proud of the town hall plaque awarded to her, which reads: 'In recognition of Doña Isabel Sánchez Berdugo, who for 25 years has been maintaining one of our most deeply rooted gastronomic traditions in the Serranía'. It is signed by Ronda's mayor María de la Paz Fernández, who was accompanied by the councillor for social rights, Cristina Durán, when it was presented.
They are not the only politicians to have shown special affection for Isabel and her husband. Former mayor Antonio María Marín Lara, who is no longer alive, made a new stall for them. The previous stall had deteriorated a lot as these chestnut sellers had started out with just a folding beach table and an umbrella. "He asked us to draw up a design," recalls Isabel.
She confesses that being a chestnut seller is a "hard" job. "It can be very cold, we are here from October to February, we bring chestnuts from near here, also Huelva, Cáceres, Galicia and China.... There are cold days when nobody shows up, there are just the lions from the monument of Hercules in the square and us. We sell more with the sun out and good weather." There are no secrets to roasting chestnuts, according to Isabel: "You just have to get the hang of it, at the beginning it was difficult to keep the fire going. We put salt on them so that our hands don't get dirty when peeling them and it also gives them a special touch."
Selling chestnuts until carnival season
These 'castañaros' try to extend the life of the stall until carnival season in early spring, if they can. "I have to extend it, otherwise I'm stuck for work", added Isabel. At 56 years of age, she combines this business with cleaning work. We can say that she is a grandmother and a half as she is in charge of her grandson Yeray, whose mother was unable to take care of him due to health problems. "We worked for him, we fought for his custody", she reminisces, a hard chapter of her life when she too was ill. "I have overcome two tumours", she said. A double victory of beating cancer and fighting for her grandson, who was with them at the stall due to schools being closed for a local holiday in honour of the patron saint of Ronda at the time of writing this article.
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