Korean chestnut밤

Bam means chestnut, one of Korea's classic fall foods. Gongju, a city in South Chungcheong Province, is one of the best-known growing areas and produces about 7,000 tonnes a year.

This season chestnut turns up as cream, custard and spreads in buns, cakes and lattes.

In its first dessert made with a local government, Yonsei Milk teamed up with Gongju City on a Gongju chestnut cream bun, filled with chestnut cream and chestnut custard. It went on sale at CU stores nationwide on October 8, with a random art card (one of 25) in each pack, and a chestnut roll cake is due on October 20.

Café chains have chestnut menus too: Twosome Place's moist chestnut cream cake and Ediya's Pochacco chestnut cream latte.

CU convenience stores in Korea sell the Yonsei Milk Gongju chestnut cream bun (연세우유 공주의 밤 생크림빵), with the roll cake from October 20. Twosome Place and Ediya carry their chestnut cake and latte as seasonal menus.

At home: score the shells, roast or air-fry the chestnuts until tender, and peel them warm. Or mash cooked chestnuts with a little sugar and fold into whipped cream for an easy chestnut cream.