Châtaigne d'Ardèche

Châtaigne d'Ardèche is a PDO covering fresh unpeeled chestnuts, peeled whole dry chestnuts, and chestnut flour produced from ancient local varieties of Castanea sativa Miller adapted to the Ardèche region. The fruit is elliptical with a pointed apex, small hilum, and a creamy white to pale yellow kernel. Analytical requirements include more than 37% dry matter and at least 34% total carbohydrates per 100 g of fresh kernel.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0874, with EU protection dating from 12 April 2011 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014315, Châtaigne d'Ardèche covers fruit of ancient local varieties of Castanea sativa Miller forming an ecotype adapted to the natural conditions of the Ardèche region. The designation applies to three product forms: fresh unpeeled chestnuts, peeled whole dry chestnuts, and chestnut flour. All operations from harvesting to the final product must take place within the geographical area. The specification prohibits the use of fertilisers and chemical additives, and prohibits vibration equipment or chemical treatments to hasten fruit fall; chestnuts must be harvested after natural fruit fall when fully mature. Fresh chestnuts sold to consumers are put up in batches of at most 100 fruit per kg. Whole dried chestnuts and chestnut flour must each contain at most 10% moisture. Drying takes place over a minimum of seven days using hot air of at most 50 °C and must be completed by 31 January following harvest. Chestnut flour must have granules of at most 800 μm, with at least 80% of granules at most 300 μm. No chestnut tree may produce more than 100 kg of fresh chestnuts annually, and no grove may produce more than an average of 5 tonnes of fresh chestnuts per hectare annually across the farm. The proportion of dried chestnuts with defects may not exceed 5%.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 12 April 2011 under file number PDO-FR-0874 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014315).
• The specification prohibits fertilisers, chemical additives, and any vibration equipment or chemical treatment to hasten fruit fall.
• Drying must last a minimum of seven days at hot-air temperatures of at most 50 °C, completed by 31 January following harvest.
• Fresh chestnut kernels must contain more than 37% dry matter and at least 34% total carbohydrates per 100 g.

Tasting notes

Ardèche chestnut AOP, multiple traditional varieties (Bouche Rouge, Comballe, Pourette, Sardonne, Aguyane, Garinche, Merle, Précoce des Vans). Sweet creamy starchy flesh, characteristic Cevenol-mountain flavor.

HoReCa use

The source notes that Châtaigne d'Ardèche has moved from a staple food for the local population to a key ingredient in local cooking, and that several local enterprises have used it as the main ingredient in glacé chestnuts and sweetened chestnut purée. It also appears on the menus of notable chefs and is listed in the inventory of France's culinary heritage produced by the Conseil National des Arts Culinaires.

Packaging

• crate-fresh-10kg
• crate-fresh-15kg
• vacuum-pack-cooked-500g
• frozen-peeled-1kg
• dried-1kg
• marron-glacé-gift-300g
• chestnut-flour-500g
• chestnut-cream-jar-250g

Seasonality