Hot, sweet, and glutinous sugar fried chestnuts are one of people's favorite snacks during the autumn and winter seasons. How to eat chestnuts to enjoy delicious food with peace of mind? Associate Professor Xue Yong from the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University reminds "chestnut fans" to be aware that "smiling chestnuts" are difficult to completely avoid health hazards, and the most reliable way to peel chestnuts is to "get started" and not bite them when you are in a hurry. Xue Yong said that the reason why Roasted chestnuts in sugar-coated heated sand "smile" is not only the reason why they are fried at high temperature, but also the reason why they are "considerate" and "human service". During the frying process of chestnuts and other nuts, the internal moisture is heated, leading to rapid expansion of the kernel volume. At this time, if the ductility of the chestnut shell is not good enough, it is easy to "explode" when encountering compression. Therefore, when frying chestnuts, making a cut in each chestnut can not only evenly heat the chestnut kernels, shorten the frying time, but also effectively avoid the damage caused by the "shell explosion" of chestnuts. However, the "always smiling" Roasted chestnuts in sugar-coated heated sand may sometimes bring some safety hazards to the consumers. Xue Yong analyzed that firstly, when frying chestnuts, round sand or small stones are usually used, which is actually a practical application of solid-state medium heat transfer and ripening technology. Xiaoshizi heats up quickly and also transfers heat quickly, making it an ideal heat transfer medium for stir frying chestnuts. It can evenly distribute the moisture of chestnuts in a short period of time, achieving the effect of concentrating the freshness of chestnuts, making them sweeter, more flavorful, and more fragrant. However, if the round sand or small stones are not treated cleanly, impurities will enter the chestnut from the opening area, which is very unhygienic. Secondly, the maltose used for frying chestnuts reacts at high temperatures to form caramel, which turns black over time and contains certain harmful ingredients. However, when chestnuts open, they are prone to sticking to such unsafe syrup. Especially if some illegal vendors use saccharin sodium and inferior oil to stir fry chestnuts, it is even more unsafe. Finally, some unscrupulous merchants may use industrial paraffin to "makeup" chestnuts in order to make them appear "visually appealing". This way, the surface of chestnuts looks very shiny and attractive. However, according to relevant regulations in China, even food grade paraffin wax cannot be used for frying dried fruits. Of course, if you accidentally buy or even eat the Roasted chestnuts in sugar-coated heated sand smeared with paraffin, you don't have to worry about that they will "cause cancer" as reported on the Internet. Because paraffin is only wrapped around the skin of chestnuts, and chestnuts are peeled when eaten. Considering the nutritional characteristics, as long as the amount of paraffin consumed is controlled (up to 6 or 7 per person per day), the amount of paraffin consumed is negligible. To sum up, the "silent" Roasted chestnuts in sugar-coated heated sand may be relatively healthier. To avoid accidents when eating chestnuts, it is better to let the newly cooked chestnuts stand for 3-5 minutes before eating. At the same time, it is recommended to peel the shell by hand and try to avoid directly putting the chestnuts with shells into the mouth to reduce health and safety risks. (Reporter Li Jian) (Xinhua News Agency)