Foods Mentioned In Christmas Songs That You've Probably Never Eaten

Today's food mentioned in a Christmas song that you've probably never eaten is chestnuts.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos

Sleigh Ride

We'll be singing the songs
We love to sing without a single stop
At the fireplace while we watch
The chestnuts pop; Pop! Pop! Pop!

We don't know about you, but our pantries are mostly filled with already-shelled almonds, cashews, and walnuts—not chestnuts. According to a 2006 story published in the magazine Performing Songwriter, the "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" lyric was inspired by songwriter Bob Wells's childhood in Boston: He remembered when street vendors used to serve up paper cones full of roasted chestnuts around Christmas.
It makes sense that it was inspired by his childhood, considering his song (The Christmas Song), as well as Sleigh Ride, were written in the 1940s—right before the American Chestnut species went extinct after succumbing to a blight that started in the early 1900s, according to the U.S. non-profit American Forest Foundation. That explains why you don't see the sidewalk snack as much. If you ever do see chestnuts, they're likely imported from Italy.