Bursa Chestnut Candy Description and Distinctive Features of the Product: Bursa Chestnut Candy is a delicacy made by peeling chestnut skins and cooking them in syrup until they crystallize. The production of this sweet treat in Bursa began in the renowned Şekerciler Çarşısı (Confectioners' Bazaar) in the early 1900s. Historical records show that during that time, delegations from Ankara would bring chestnut candy back to Atatürk on their return trips. For many years, Bursa has been the primary center for producing this candy, establishing Bursa Chestnut Candy as a product strongly linked to its geographic origin. The fruit content in Bursa Chestnut Candy must be between 63-71%, while in syrupy chestnut candy, the fruit content should be at least 60%. The pH value ranges from 5 to 5.8. For the production of Bursa Chestnut Candy, chestnuts with thin, easily peelable skins are used, and the skin ratio of the fruit should not exceed 25%. It is also preferable for the skin color to be light and not overly dark. The typical color of Bursa Chestnut Candy is amber with a yellowish hue, and it should not be too dark or caramelized. Production Method: Chestnuts can be peeled either manually or using a machine. For the machine peeling process, chestnuts are placed in the machine after their outer shells have dried. Chestnuts with scored shells are then peeled by the machine. Afterward, the chestnuts are softened with steam, and their inner membranes are cleaned. The cleaned chestnuts are transferred onto a conveyor belt where workers, using special chestnut knives, manually remove any remaining shells. The cleaned chestnuts are then placed into 8-10 kg bags and either stored in a preservation warehouse or used immediately. Any chestnuts that are not used right away are frozen at -18°C. The shelf life of frozen chestnuts ranges from 2 to 3 years. Chestnuts should have an appropriate cream color and should not have a sour, tangy, or bitter taste. Separation of Peeled Chestnuts by Size: Chestnuts weighing 4-7 g are classified as small, 7-10 g as medium, 10-15 g as large, and those weighing 15 g and above are considered very large. The ideal chestnuts for making Bursa Chestnut Candy are medium and large sizes. The chestnuts, once separated by size, are optionally tied in porous special chestnut cloths or placed in baskets without tying. The tying method follows the traditional process from the 1930s, where chestnuts were bundled in groups of two or three without breaking them, before being produced and sold. Boiling Chestnuts in Water: Chestnuts, separated according to size, are placed in stainless steel baskets and immersed in boiling pans. The chestnuts in the baskets are boiled using process water, which is purified, softened, and treated with ultraviolet light. The boiling time is adjusted based on how soft the chestnuts become. While the chestnuts are boiling, sugar and water are separately melted to prepare the syrup for the next stage. Cooking Chestnuts in Syrup: Once the boiling process is complete, the chestnuts are drained and syrup is added to them. The chestnuts are then cooked in either an open or closed pan for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. After cooking, the chestnut candies are set aside to rest. The sugar content in the syrup may vary depending on the desired taste, but on average, 10-12 kg of sugar and 4 kg of water for every 10 kg of chestnuts is sufficient to achieve the desired consistency.