marroni essiccati con metodo tradizionale

a millennial culture

Revival of traditions

The research and development of new products stems from the recovery of ancient and traditional production methods.

The restoration of an ancient natural stone mill allows us to produce flour of great nutritional value.

Slow and careful processing and transformation methods, learned over the long course of the centuries, are the foundation of our company's production.

Marrons Glacés in Pezzi - Delizia Artigianale Biologica Senza Glutine

The most precious gem

Candied chestnuts

In La Fenice's laboratory, we have studied and experimented at length to obtain marrons glacés worthy of the finest tradition.

Candying is a truly delicate process that makes marrons glacés as precious as few other products in the world.

Immersed for days in a sugar syrup, whose density is constantly measured and adjusted, the chestnuts release water and absorb sugar.

Only after 10 days are they finally removed from the syrup and then glazed, ready to melt in your mouth and offer an unparalleled sweetness.

Origins of marrons glacés
farina di castagne macinata a pietra

for a top-tier chestnut flour

True natural stone milling

The dried chestnuts are strictly selected and ground in our genuine natural stone mills. The use of traditional stone is a source of great pride for our company and a guarantee of a top-quality chestnut flour.

macina in pietra per produrre la farina di castagne

the most prized natural stone in Europe

La Ferté

La Fenice's genuine natural stone millstones are made from the highest quality millstone known, the famous “La Ferté” stone, which comes from La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, a small area east of Paris, and possesses a temper so hard that it has historically been the most sought-after millstone by millers throughout Europe.

differ from modern ones

Superior quality grinders

Modern “stone” mills, which are the most popular today, are artificial agglomerates of emery, flint, and magnesite, often in addition to various resins, additives, and dyes, assembled together to guarantee excessive productivity and rotation speeds with minimal maintenance, albeit at the expense of the pursuit of superior quality, which has always been characteristic of slower, artisanal methods.

Natural stone mills, on the other hand, are carved directly from a real block of stone, extracted from an actual quarry. The maintenance of these mills—known as dressing—is constant and has produced entire generations of expert stonemasons who, armed with patience and a dressing hammer, trace the patterns of the millstone and refine its imperfections, shaping the stone for the best result: a chestnut flour that is fine and refined by a slow and healthy rotation.

handed down from generation to generation

Secular tradition

Often, traditional stone millstones are passed down from generation to generation, from one miller to another, over the course of even centuries, until they are completely worn out.

Each millstone is distinguished by its own unique characteristics (hardness and porosity), which make it special for a specific grain to be milled (soft wheat, spelt, semolina, corn, chestnuts or marrons!).

ancient traditions

Millenary culture

Like the Phoenix, the millennial culture of the chestnut rises from its ashes. Traditional recipes and ancient knowledge bring our company products to life.

Discover a millennial culture

Smaller products with minor defects that prevent them from being placed on the fresh market are used for the production of dried marroni chestnuts or chestnut flour.

Drying with the traditional method, still used today, is a long and laborious process that possesses the charm of rituals from days gone by.

Stone drying sheds

The drying sheds, or “metati”, located in the chestnut groves themselves or nearby, are stone constructions with a rectangular floor plan: a single room divided at about half its height by a chestnut wood lattice.

The chestnuts to be dried are spread out in the upper part and are periodically moved and turned over, while a fire of chestnut wood embers is maintained in the lower part, taking care that the embers remain glowing but without flames. All this naturally requires constant vigilance and presence!

Threshing the dried chestnuts

Chestnuts can also be dried using modern equipment, which utilizes movement and a constant flow of hot air.

Once dried, the chestnuts are “threshed” to separate the fruit from the peel and the skin... and that's not all: a new, careful sorting process is required to check the quality of the product.

Traditional stone mills

At this point, the dried marroni chestnuts are ground by us using traditional stone mills for the production of top-quality chestnut flour.

Once upon a time, dried chestnuts and flour were a basic ingredient for mountain populations: not just for desserts, but for soups, vegetable soups, gnocchi... Today, the recovery and reworking of traditional recipes can be a source of a great variety of flavors in the kitchen!

Try our chestnut flour

Mugello PGI chestnut flour stone-ground

Our chestnut flour is one of the finest products of Azienda Agricola La Fenice. Obtained from the grinding of Mugello PGI marroni harvested in our chestnut grove in Vicchio, this flour carries with it all the scent and authentic flavor of the Tuscan forest.

The grinding process takes place using a La Ferté natural stone mill, one of the very few traditional mills still in operation in Europe. This slow and delicate method preserves all the nutrients and aromatic compounds of the chestnut intact, producing a flour with an intense aroma, a warm color, and an unmistakably sweet and toasted flavor.

Naturally gluten-free: ideal for desserts, pasta, and bread

Chestnut flour is naturally gluten-free, ideal for celiacs and those following a gluten-free diet. A fundamental ingredient for castagnaccio, it is also suitable for fresh pasta, pancakes, muffins, cookies, and crepes. Available in 500g and 1kg sizes. By purchasing our flour, you are directly supporting the Tuscan short supply chain and the preservation of an autochthonous variety of enormous gastronomic value.

View all