Kuri Kinton (Tono Chestnut Sweets)

Kuri Kinton (Tono Chestnut Sweets)

By Chef Cannon

Cuisine: Japanese

Region: 岐阜県

Servings: 30個分

Kuri Kinton, also called Tono chestnut sweets, is the Nakatsugawa wagashi of boiled chestnuts kneaded with sugar and squeezed in a damp cloth into a chestnut shape. It is not the sweet-potato osechi dish of the same name; you taste the chestnuts themselves.

At a glance

Time: about 80 min · About 30 pieces · Difficulty: medium · ≈ 100 kcal per piece (estimate)

Kuri Kinton, also called Tono chestnut sweets, is the Nakatsugawa wagashi of boiled chestnuts kneaded with sugar and squeezed in a damp cloth into a chestnut shape. It is not the sweet-potato osechi dish of the same name; you taste the chestnuts themselves.

Ingredients

  • Fresh chestnuts 1 kg
  • Sugar 300 g
  • Salt, a pinch (about 1–2 g)

Steps

  1. Rinse the fresh chestnuts, put them in a pot with plenty of water, and set over high heat. Once the water boils, lower to medium and simmer 20–30 minutes, until a bamboo skewer slides through easily and the chestnuts are soft. Skim off any scum or foam that rises.
  2. Peel them while they are still hot. Carefully remove both the outer shell and the inner skin, and do not leave the radicle or any darkened, discolored spots. They become harder to peel as they cool, so work a few at a time. Collect the peeled nuts in a bowl right away and mash them lightly with a wooden spatula so no coarse lumps remain.
  3. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt to the mashed chestnuts and mix well. Transfer to a microwave-safe heatproof container and warm at 600 W for 1–2 minutes so the sugar dissolves and coats the paste (it is enough for the sugar to melt and a sheen to appear).
  4. Warm a heavy pot over low to very low heat and add the chestnut paste. Stir along the bottom with a wooden spatula so it does not scorch, and cook 8–12 minutes until it takes on a little color and comes together. When it turns glossy and sticky and starts to pull away from the pot less readily, turn off the heat.
  5. Let the paste cool slightly, wrap it in plastic wrap, and roll it into a log 3–4 cm in diameter. Unwrap and cut into rounds of about 30 g each (about 30 pieces in all). Shape them lightly into balls with your hands so they will be easier to squeeze later.
  6. Dampen a clean cloth with water and wring it out firmly. Place a portion of paste in the center of the cloth and pinch it in from all four sides to form a chestnut shape. The wrinkles of the cloth become the pattern that marks the Tono style. Arrange on a plate and serve.

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Notes

This is not the same as the osechi "kuri kinton" made by mixing candied sweet potato with chestnuts. The Tono, Gifu version is a simple wagashi made only from steamed (or boiled) chestnut meat and sugar.

Any inner skin or dark spots left behind will taste astringent and leave uneven color. Peeling them away carefully while the chestnuts are hot is what makes the difference.

Over-kneading or high heat scorches the paste easily, and if too much moisture cooks off it turns dry and crumbly. Low heat until a sheen appears is the right cue. If it feels too stiff along the way, loosen it with 1 teaspoon of sugar water at a time.

Wring the cloth out firmly or the squeezed shape will slump. If the cloth is too dry the paste sticks, so dampen it lightly and wring it again as you work.

The aroma is best the day they are made. Seal leftovers and refrigerate 1–2 days. Bring them back to room temperature just before eating to restore the flavor. They are not suited to long storage.

Time and temperature

Peel about 25–30 min · Boil, then simmer 20–30 min until a skewer slides through · Microwave 600 W 1–2 min to melt the sugar · Knead over low to very low heat 8–12 min until glossy · Cool slightly, roll, cut at about 30 g, then squeeze

Nutrition

100 kcal · Protein 1 g · Fat 1 g · Carbs 22 g

about 1 piece (about 30 g) estimate

Substitutes

  • Fresh chestnuts → vacuum-packed cooked peeled chestnuts (pat dry; skip boiling)
  • Sugar → superfine sugar, or 10 g less if you prefer it less sweet
  • Damp cloth → clean thin cotton or a lint-free kitchen towel
  • Full 1 kg batch → halve to 500 g chestnuts + 150 g sugar (about 15 pieces)

Storage

The aroma is best the day they are made. Seal and refrigerate 1–2 days; return to room temperature before eating. Freezing is not recommended: they dry out and the cloth pattern slumps. Do not stack the finished pieces, and do not store them long.

FAQ

Peeling takes forever once they cool?
The inner skin is hard to remove when cold. Lift only a few chestnuts from the hot water at a time and keep the rest warm, or hold them in a steamer. Trim the radicle and dark spots or the paste will taste bitter and look uneven.
The paste dried out or scorched while kneading?
That happens with high heat or too much cooking. Take the pot off the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar water at a time, then return to very low heat. Keep scraping the bottom and stop once the paste is glossy and holds together.
Why do the squeezed shapes slump?
Wring the cloth out firmly and let the paste cool a little first. Too much moisture makes them collapse; a bone-dry cloth makes them stick, so redampen and wring as you work. Rolling each piece lightly in your hands before the cloth helps them hold.
Can I make them a day ahead for guests?
Yes, but they are best the same day. If you must get ahead, refrigerate them sealed for no more than 1 day and let them sit at room temperature at least 20 minutes before serving. Long storage or freezing dulls the chestnut aroma and moist texture.
Is this the same as osechi kuri kinton?
No. The Tono sweets use only chestnut meat and sugar. The New Year version is usually sweet-potato paste mixed with candied chestnuts. The names are close; the ingredients and eating style are not.

Origin and history

Kuri kinton, beloved in the Tono region centered on Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture, is a wagashi made by mixing boiled (or steamed) chestnut meat with sugar, then squeezing it into a chestnut shape in a damp cloth. It is a different confection from the sweet-potato-based "kuri kinton" often served in osechi cuisine; its hallmark is the straight flavor of the chestnuts themselves.

In a land where people once boiled or roasted wild mountain chestnuts, a prototype close to today's squeezed candy eventually appeared, and the form we know now is said to have grown as confectioners competed in the post-town of Nakatsugawa, which had a thriving tea-ceremony culture. The season runs from the Chrysanthemum Festival (the chestnut festival) in September through winter, and many people travel from inside and outside the prefecture for these chestnut sweets, a well-known autumn-and-winter specialty.

This recipe uses 1 kg of fresh chestnuts and 300 g of sugar for about 30 pieces. At home you can halve it (500 g fresh chestnuts and 150 g sugar for about 15 pieces) and follow the same steps. Peeling and kneading take a little time, but the ingredients are very simple. In the season when fresh chestnuts are available, try a plate of these Tono-style squeezed sweets with their cloth-wrinkle pattern.