Recently I asked friends to complete a sentence beginning with “Chestnuts …” I expected most to respond with “roasting on an open fire.” While some did, I also got a variety of other answers, including fond memories of chestnuts roasting on big city street corners and facts on chestnut nutrition.

Chestnuts are famously associated with the Christmas season through “The Christmas Song,” but they come into season in the fall, typically in the weeks prior to Thanksgiving. (“The Christmas Song” was written in 1946 and popularized by such singers as Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby.)

They’re a starchy nut, containing twice as much as potatoes, and are used as a substitute for this tuber in Europe, Asia and Africa. As the song suggests, they’re fantastic straight from the oven or fire, but they may also be used in a variety of ways in cuisine, both savory and sweet.

It’s possible the chestnut is one of the first foods consumed by man, as they’ve been part of our diet since prehistoric times.