Castanea Sativa (Sweet Chestnut) - Carlos von Riefel - Framed Print - 12"H x 16"W

Castanea Sativa (Sweet Chestnut) - Carlos von Riefel - Framed Print - 12"H x 16"W

Carlos von Riefel or Carlos Riefel aka Karlos von Riefel was an Austrian botanical artist specialising in fruit and flower painting

He studied at the Vienna Academy of Arts. His meticulous paintings remain popular poster subjects.

His illustrations appeared in publications such as The Rhododendron, A Folio of Fruit and Flowers and Blooms from Mountain Country and Heath

Castanea sativa, or sweet chestnut, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fagaceae, native to Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. It produces the edible chestnut, which has been used in cooking since ancient times.

The tree is commonly called the "chestnut", or "sweet chestnut" to distinguish it from the horse chestnut, to which it is only distantly related. The Latin sativa means "cultivated by humans".

The species is widely cultivated for its edible nuts and for its wood. As early as Roman times, it was introduced into more northerly regions, and later was also cultivated in monastery gardens by monks.

The tree was a popular choice for landscaping in England, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries. C. sativa was probably introduced during the Roman occupation, and many ancient examples are recorded.

Chestnuts are traditionally roasted and once cooked, acquire a sweet flavour and a floury texture similar to the sweet potato. The cooked nuts can be used for stuffing poultry, as a vegetable or in nut roasts. They can also be used in confections, puddings, desserts and cakes. They are used for flour, bread making, a cereal substitute, coffee substitute, a thickener in soups and other cookery uses, as well as for fattening stock.

Roman soldiers were given chestnut porridge before going into battle.