Chestnut cream

Chestnut cream, a delight to share

Chestnut cream, sweet and smooth, is a true delight for lovers of authentic flavors. Perfect for accompanying your desserts or enjoying by the spoonful, it will captivate your taste buds with its unique and comforting taste.

Chestnut cream, an eminently Ardèche treat

Chestnut cream has its roots in Ardèche, where fruits dating back over 8000 years have been discovered, and which remains France's leading chestnut producer to this day. In the 19th century, artisans began transforming chestnuts to make candied chestnuts and chestnut cream: with these treats, the rustic fruit became a refined delicacy. Ardèche today perpetuates a long tradition that combines ancestral savoir-faire and culinary innovation.

The department currently supplies more than half of France's chestnut production, with passionate producers dedicated to their terroir. They maintain century-old trees according to demanding specifications, ensuring fruits of excellent quality. Thanks to this commitment, Ardèche chestnut cream is an emblematic product that is exported beyond regional borders, attracting sweet lovers across the country.

A delicious traditional production

Originally, chestnut cream was invented to salvage broken pieces of candied chestnuts, which would otherwise have been wasted. This ingenious process allowed these pieces to be transformed into a sweet and flavorful paste, thus preventing waste. Clément Faugier, in his Privas factory, perfected this method in 1885.

Artisanal production uses methods that respect this tradition: chestnuts are carefully selected, slowly cooked, then mixed with sugar and vanilla to obtain a smooth and fragrant cream. Each jar is the result of meticulous savoir-faire, guaranteeing exceptional quality.

Today, chestnut cream remains an original product offered by various Ardèche confectionery makers, including the large Clément Faugier brand, which remains the best known. It offers chestnut cream in jars and tubes, which can be easily consumed even when you are on the go. These formats also facilitate its use in cooking, knowing that chestnut cream is not limited to a simple spoon-fed treat.

Which chestnut cream to choose?

This treat comes in several forms, each adapted to different desires and uses:

• Cream in a jar is ideal for the most gourmet, you can dip into it whenever you want, whether to eat alone, for a spread, dessert, or even with a cake mix to make your best sweet recipes.

• Cream in a tube is perfect for topping your small pastries for a gourmet touch, and ideal to take with you to have a comforting treat readily available wherever you are!

• Chestnut puree is made with fruit from cultivated wild chestnut trees, which yield several fruits in their burr. With its sweet and fragrant flavor, it is an ideal spread, to be used on chestnut flour pancakes for a unique taste experience.

• Chestnut cream is so smooth. It is made from fruits from old chestnut trees, following a traditional process that Ardèche confectioners have kept secret.

• Chestnut-chocolate spread is ideal for delicious and energy-filled breakfasts and snacks. The aroma and taste of chocolate blend wonderfully with the sweetness of chestnut, to the delight of sweet tooths.

• Individual candied chestnuts are the kind of treat we love to share with our best friends, for a moment of pure happiness that brings back childhood memories!

How to enjoy chestnut cream?

Chestnut cream can be enjoyed in many ways, to add a sweet touch to your gourmet moments. It is delicious on fresh bread or crêpes, or even integrated into your desserts (yogurts, ice creams, etc.). It pairs perfectly with fromage blanc or fresh fruit. It is also a secret ingredient to enhance your pastries: in a cake, on an apple tart, or on top of a muffin. Your guests will be charmed! For the more adventurous, it can also be used in savory recipes, bringing a subtle sweetness to meat or poultry dishes.

Also discover all our other products on our online sweet grocery store!