Come autumn, the sweet aroma of sugar-roasted chestnuts drifts through the streets of northern China. These ready-to-eat treats are roasted in an iron wok with black sand. Hot and steaming, they have thin, easy-to-peel skins and soft, sweet, sticky flesh—making them the first "taste of the season" for many Chinese people.

Street-side sugar-roasted chestnuts

At Mutianyu, at the foot of the Great Wall in Beijing, a chestnut harvest festival is held each autumn. Visitors knock chestnuts from the trees, gather them from the ground and sample limited-edition creations such as chestnut milk tea, braised chicken with chestnuts and braised pork ribs with chestnuts. Together, these activities turn a street snack into a mountain harvest experience.

Chestnut picking

Braised chicken with chestnuts

Chestnuts have long been known as the "kidney-nourishing nut" of autumn. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are believed to nourish the stomach, strengthen the spleen, support kidney function and strengthen the sinews. Nutritious and naturally sweet, they are an affordable and highly regarded autumn tonic.

Sugar-roasted chestnuts