Conkers

[luvlylady]

Are conkers the same as chestnuts? Can we roast conkers and eat them?

[heathfield]

Yes, they're the same. But 'conkers' are from the 'Horse Chestnut' tree, and are very bitter, making them unpleasant to try to eat.
Edible chestnuts, like the ones we see in stores at Christmas, are from the 'Spanish Chestnut' tree.
Strangely, though the leaves and the chestnuts look in some ways similar, the two tree species are not related to each other.

[hammerman]

They are not related at all and i personally wouldn't touch conkers with a barge pole

Horse chestnut (Aesculus Hippocastanum) are from the Hippocastanaceae family whilst sweet chestnuts (castanea sativa) is from the beech family or fagaceae family.

[marvinparvin]

Do NOT, under any circumstances, eat the conker variety of chestnut.

[Cetti]

NOT the same at all!!!

'Conkers' are not for eating, sweet chestnuts are - different tree, different side effects!!

[dustypuss]

watch out for portuguese chestnuts if Thay have a little hole in them approx 1mm you will find a little maggot in them . yum yum