We were right in the heart of the Serra de S. Mamede, in S. Julião, and accompanied a morning of picking chestnuts with the Tânia Militão, which has had this seasonal "hobby" for many years.
The northwest-southeast orientation that characterises the Serra de S. Mamede mountain range allows you to enjoy an unrivalled diversity of flora.
In addition to the unique landscape that fascinates those who venture there, this imposing mountain range presents us with a hot, dry climate on the south-west facing slopes and a cooler, wetter climate on the north-east facing slopes - the climate typically known as Mediterranean.
Since the chestnut tree is a medium-light tree, easily adaptable to different types of climate (preferring, however, humid, bright and not too harsh climates), it was, for many centuries, one of the main sources of food for families in the region and, even today, plays an important role in the local economy: generating seasonal employment, gastronomic and cultural events and eco-tourism.
The chestnut trees of the Serra de S. Mamede appreciate hot summers, rainy autumns, cold winters and slightly acidic soils, resulting from the schist of the mountains.
They rest imposingly, with canopies around 20-30 metres high, side by side with the Xévora River, which nourishes and feeds them with its pure, crystal-clear waters all year round.
Water, heat and mountain soil, just that and nothing more.
This is how the fruit of fruits is born. Queen of autumn and princess of family evenings.
As Tânia Militão explained, "Our chestnut has a supply of minerals that only the combination of climate and soil in the Serra de São Mamede gives them. Rich in vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus and folic acid, this is undoubtedly our greatest ally in the cold winter months. Picked by hand, one by one, respecting the cycle of the chestnut tree and the ripeness of its fruit, this produces a chestnut that is unique in flavour and quality. Such are the chestnuts of the Serra de S. Mamede."
