Boiled Peanuts

Name: Boiled peanuts — peanuts, usually fresh “green” ones, simmered in salted water until soft. They are a traditional snack in the American South, China, India and parts of West Africa.

Description

The peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is native to South America, where it was domesticated thousands of years ago, and is botanically a legume rather than a true nut, because the pods ripen underground. Spanish and Portuguese traders carried it to Africa, Asia and North America, where it became a staple crop.

Boiled peanuts are especially associated with the southern United States, where roadside stands sell them hot from the pot, and Georgia named the boiled peanut its official state snack in 2006. In China, boiled peanuts are a common street and bar snack, often cooked with star anise, and in India and West Africa they are sold in similar fashion. The nuts turn soft and tender, a bit like cooked beans, and absorb the salty brine.

Main nutrition value

Boiled peanuts are softer and lower in fat than roasted ones because they absorb water, but they keep the protein and fibre of the peanut, and are usually very salty.

How best to be consumed

Boiled peanuts are eaten warm, shelled by hand, straight from the brine.

1. Eat warm or cold, shelling them as you go and discarding the shells.
2. Cook your own from raw green peanuts, simmered for a few hours with a little salt, or with spices such as star anise or Cajun seasoning.
3. Choose lighter brines or low-salt versions if you are watching sodium.
4. Refrigerate leftovers and eat within a few days, since boiled peanuts spoil quickly.
5. Drain well and enjoy as a snack rather than a meal on their own.

Overconsumption could cause…

Boiled peanuts are a casual snack, and the brine is the main thing to watch.

1. High salt (sodium) intake, since the nuts soak up the salty brine, which can raise blood pressure over time.
2. Peanut allergy, one of the most common and potentially severe food allergies, so peanuts must be avoided completely by anyone allergic, and labels checked for cross-contact.
3. Food spoilage if left unrefrigerated, since cooked, moist peanuts spoil within a day or so at room temperature.
4. Choking in young children, for whom whole peanuts are not suitable.

GroupsPeanutsLegume familyHigh fibreHigh sodiumRich in folateCooked

Made fromRaw Peanuts

Related foodsPeanut FlourRoasted PeanutsSalted PeanutsUnsalted PeanutsGroundnutsPeanut Butter

Wikipedia — Boiled peanuts, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiled_peanuts