Mistaking It for Chestnut... The Shocking Identity That Can Cause Severe Breathing Difficulties

When engaging in outdoor activities, you often see chestnuts fallen on the ground.

However, they might not be delicious chestnuts, but horse chestnut fruits, which you should never eat. Let us look at the details together.

First, the horse chestnut tree, commonly known as "marronnier," is widely planted as a street tree or for landscaping.

Its fruit looks similar to a chestnut.

It has a brown color and a smooth surface.

Even when cut open, its shape resembles that of a chestnut.

So, don't you think, "Can I eat this?" or even, "It looks delicious"?

However, you must never eat this.

This is because marronnier fruits contain toxic substances such as tannin and glucoside.

Ingesting them can cause fever, diarrhea, and itching, as well as severe breathing difficulties in serious cases.

Let us show you how to distinguish them.

Chestnuts have a shape with a sharp point protruding at the end.

However, marronnier fruits are generally round and lack a distinct apex.

Also, you should keep in mind that the white part at the bottom of the fruit tends to be more irregular in marronnier fruits.

(Source: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety YouTube)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.