The sweet chestnut was introduced into Europe from Sardis, in Asia Minor; the fruit was then called the 'Sardian Nut'.It has been a staple food in Southern Europe, Turkey and southwestern and eastern Asiafor millennia, largely replacing cereals where these would not grow well, if at all, in mountainous Mediterranean areas. Aboriginal Americans were eating the American Chestnut species, mainly Castanea dentata and some others, long before European immigrants introduced their stock to America and before the arrival of Chestnut blight.

Candied chestnuts (whole chestnuts candied in sugar syrup, then iced are sold under the French name marrons glac?s. Chestnuts taste vary slightly from one to the next but is somewhat sweet and certainly unique. Chestnut-based recipes and preparations are making a comeback in Italian cuisine, as part of the trend toward rediscovery of traditional dishes and better nutrition.