Jer Roasted chestnuts? I will certaininly givethem a try when I go in three weeks! just thought I' be wicked and make everyone jealous.. joke! I had never heard of roasted chestnuts in Madrid before or anywhere for that matter, but I think that the sweet patatas/corn on teh cob are more appealing, are there any other stalls around Madrid selling things like this? Becks
Posts: 25 | Location: ireland | Registered: 04 October 2001
There are about 12 main stands all around the city and I know that, aside from THE ONE IN PUERTA DEL SOL there is one in the Plaza de Callao, Plaza de Espa�a and the Plaza Castilla.
They do not all sell corn and sweet "patatas" though, your best bet is Sol or Plaza de Callao for that. I know for example that the one in Plaza de Espa�a only sells chestnuts.
Happy chompin,
Saludos, jer...
p.d. They should be jealous, you are going to have an awesome trip, Madrid rules at holiday time. You must be sooooo psyched!
jer, just browsed your item about castanas y mazorcas. Years ago, when we live in spain, the local population thought americans were crazy. Corn was raised to feed livestock. when we would try to explain we ate it ourselves, it freaked them out. Roasted chestnuts were also popular in New York City. But boy do I remember how good they smelled in Madrid. Madrilena wannabe
Posts: 36 | Location: georgetown usa | Registered: 24 January 2002
Hey madrile�a wannabe, thanks for reviving an old thread that deserves a little more life
You are sooooo right, even to this day the best corn I can find here for human consumption is sold in the supermarkets and veggie stands in sets of 2 corn cobs sealed in plastic. It is pretty tasty but ooooohhhh what I would do for a nice fresh piese of unhusked corn
Back in the U.S.A. (NY) we used to fresh New Jersey corn which was the best.
Amongst the few things I miss here is the fresh farmstand corn.
If we did not have those silly laws against bringing fresh meats & produce into another country I would ask some of my visitors to bring me some on their future trips over
They are here too (lanzarote). The smell of the roasting chestnuts is so evocative of Xmas. Quite at odds with a temperature of 27 degrees centigrade!!!
________________________________________ Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
Hey madsue, yeah, that must be odd! Kinda like X-mas in Miami
I just saw a report on the news here in Madrid saying how the recently arrived cold weather entices the Madrile�os into buying more chestnuts, corn cobs, etc... and hence the "casta�eros" (chestnut vendors) counting their mountains of Euros already.
So, what makes you want to buy chestnuts if not a cold day?
Actually, the smell of chestnuts roasting makes me think of New York City. I'd like to find out firsthand, however, if they smell the same in Madrid as they do in Manhattan.
I remember frequenting the chestnut roasting stands near Cibeles, mmm! How long does the season last? Will they still be there in March? (I'm asking because remember buying chestnuts in Rome in mid-May four years ago.)
There are only a few cool-weather smells that evoke such memories for me: the pungent aroma of roasting green chile peppers (New Mexico in Autumn), the sweet odor of juniper/cedar in the woodstove (New Mexico in Winter), peat fires (Ireland, probably Autumn->Spring)).
"An honest man is always a child" - Socrates ...no wonder I'm so immature!
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