On taking a tour of the ten chestnut kiosks that can be found in our municipality this year, we stop in Las Lagunas, next to the parish church of San Manuel González. The stalls, like this one in Las Lagunas, have become not only a place to stop and buy chestnuts, but also a meeting place for friends and family, who take advantage of the afternoon to have a chat as was the custom in the past. Here, for the last five years, we have been attended by Gema Castañeda and Cristóbal Moreno. "We always have customers, the truth is, I put out little chairs for them... they come, they sit here, they eat their chestnuts. There is always a good atmosphere here, many people come and go and the truth is that we are happy", Gema tells us.  

On afternoons like today's there are many family members and friends sitting around the kiosk, as if they were in their living room at home, as Pedro Javier Mulero tells us "we sit here next to the chestnuts, we enjoy the company and the warmth. We are here with our family and we hang out". 

And while Gema splits the chestnuts, Cristóbal is in charge of roasting them. "The chestnuts that we bring are quite easy to peel, we buy them where you have to go to buy them, we spend a little more money but we bring a quality product", Cristóbal comments while he gives the pot a good shake. "The truth is that this year has been quite bad because of the drought, now they are coming from Galicia and even from Portugal. In spite of everything, they're not coming out badly, they're coming out 'pilongas', they peel quite well", adds Gema. 

Chestnuts, like everything else, have their secret so that they are just right, neither raw nor overcooked, and they can also be peeled easily. How do you know they are ready to be taken out of the fire and served in the 'cartuchos' (Paper roll) ? You take a chestnut, you squeeze it like this", explains Cristóbal, taking a chestnut between his fingers and squeezing it, "if it opens up, it means it is tender. You can also tell by the weight, the movement and the sound they make when you move them inside the pot that they are already done", adds Moreno with a crunchy, well-roasted chestnut in his hand. 

The visit to the chestnut stall has become a habit for many, such as little Alma de Luna, who, accompanied by her grandfather, goes every afternoon to get her 'cartucho' of chestnuts. "I really like chestnuts, I don't know why, they are so good", Alma confesses with a smile from ear to ear. 

In Las Lagunas, there are a total of eight roasted chestnut stalls, 10 in total in the town, one in the village and one in La Cala. The Town Hall, through the Public Roads Department, provides them with the infrastructure: a kiosk and access to the electricity network.

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