Marron glacé

Marron glacé refers to a chestnut candied in sugar syrup and then glazed, a refined confection associated with the year-end holidays. Production spans several days: the fruit is impregnated through successive baths in syrup of increasing concentration, which preserves its fragile shape. The town of Privas in the Ardèche is a historic capital of the craft. An intact, glossy chestnut testifies to mastery of the long, delicate candying process behind each piece.