Chest nuts are used by confectioners, eaten roasted and ground to make flour. There's even a corsican beer made with chestnuts. Castanea sativa has been cultivated for over two thousand years for its edible starchy nuts. These chestnuts were once a staple food in europe but are enjoyed merely as a delicacy today.

Historically, chestnuts were ground into flour or coarse meal. Chestnuts are nutritionally very similar to wheat, except for a lack of the protein gluten, a binding agent, so baked goods made with chestnut flour tend to have holes or a crumbly texture. Chestnuts are still an important source of starch in parts of Europe, such as the island of Corsica where they are also used to brew beer. In Europe, chestnuts are used in confectionery, puddings and cakes. They are also used in savory dishes and in poultry stuffing, especially at Christmas.