My guess is that most adults have a peanut butter and jelly loving child inside them. I admit that I do, and every once in a while I have to indulge its whims.
Whether your version of this iconic sandwich includes white bread and grape jelly or whole wheat, bananas and honey, it’s a good thing to give in now and then. Of course, such food always tastes best in a blanket fort on the living room floor.
Though they’re enjoyed in places like Asia and Africa, peanuts originated in the New World; the Andean lowlands of South America, to be specific. They were likely first domesticated in Bolivia or Paraguay, where the wildest strains exist today.
The ancient peoples from that continent and northward to Central American and Mexico depended on the peanut as a food staple. Many pre-Columbian cultures depicted peanuts in their art.
The oldest peanut specimens, found in Peru, date back 7,600 years.
There are copious nicknames for this legume (yes, it’s a bean, not a nut), including groundnut, goober peas, earth nuts, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts, and pig nuts.
Peanuts grow in an interesting and unique way. It’s quite possible that it’s the only plant to reproduce in this manner, with both aerial and subterranean components.
The peanut bush is an herbaceous plant that produces bright yellow flowers. As they fade, a shoot (called a “peg”) develops at each flower’s base, which elongates and reaches toward the ground.
Upon touching the soil, the pegs burrow under the surface, where they grow their seeds, the peanuts. These are encased in a shell, each of which holds two to three “nuts.”
This unusual plant reached our shores in a very circuitous manner.
Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought peanuts from the New World to Africa, where they flourished and were incorporated into local food cultures.
Eventually considered sacred in some areas, they were placed in African boats to travel across the Atlantic to North America at the beginning of the slave trade.
As to their popularity in Asia, one variety of peanut was introduced to China in the 17th century by Portuguese traders, and another in the 18th century by American missionaries, and their use spread throughout the Asian continent.
In addition to China, they enjoy particular favor in Southeast Asia and India.
Though they became a garden crop in Colonial America, peanuts were used mostly as fodder for livestock until the 1930s.
The change was largely due to a U. S. Department of Agriculture campaign in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to encourage human consumption of peanuts and greater agricultural production of the crop.
George Washington Carver, who did extensive research on the peanut and is credited for coming up with more than 300 ways to use it (both in industry and as food), was one of the scientists who encouraged farmers in the American South to plant peanuts instead of or in addition to cotton.
Not only had the cotton crop been severely damaged by the boll weevil, its production had depleted the soil of much-needed nitrogen. Peanuts, like other legumes, replenish nitrogen levels in the soil.
And so peanuts became a popular part of our food culture.
In addition to peanut butter (which, by the way, was not invented by George Washington Carver as popularly believed), there are a variety of other culinary products derived from peanuts.
Peanut oil has a relatively high smoke point so is used in high-heat cooking applications. Due to its monounsaturated content, it’s considered healthier than saturated oils; as well, it’s resistant to rancidity.
It has a mild flavor in its refined form, but I prefer the unrefined version, which has a rich, nutty taste and is particularly wonderful in Asian dishes.
Peanut flour, which is gluten-free, is high in protein and adds pleasant flavor to baked goods.
Boiled peanuts are a tradition in the American South, and are a popular snack in India, China, and West Africa. Immature peanuts (full size, but green) in their shell are boiled in highly salted water. The result is a salty nut made soft by the cooking process.
Dry roasted peanuts, a well-known nosh, may be made at home by spreading shelled raw peanuts on a baking sheet and roasting them in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt as desired.
Throughout the world, peanuts are used in soups, stews, sauces, for snacking, and in desserts. Peanut butter on toast or swirled into oatmeal is a wonderful way to add protein to your morning meal without depending on animal products.
Peanuts are a nutritionally rich food, providing over 30 essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. They’re a good source of niacin, which is good for brain health and blood flow, as well as folate, fiber, magnesium, vitamin E, manganese, and phosphorus.
Peanuts are high in disease-fighting antioxidants, and new research shows that they rival the amounts in blackberries and strawberries. They have richer stores of antioxidants than carrots or beets.
Peanuts are so nutritious, in fact, that products made from them are being used to fight malnutrition throughout the world.
Peanut-based high energy, high protein, high nutrient pastes are being used by organizations such as UNICEF, the World Food Bank, and Doctors without Borders to aid in famine relief.
Despite its amazing versatility and uber nutritious nature, there are a couple of caveats where peanuts are concerned.
First, many people are allergic to peanuts (some 1 to 2 percent in the U.S.), and the symptoms can range from mild to severe. In the most extreme cases death can result.
Second, as a high fat bean, peanuts are susceptible to a mold which produces a potent carcinogen called aflatoxin. This can occur when peanuts are stored in hot, humid conditions. Producers of peanuts must be vigilant against such contamination.
When purchasing peanuts, be sure there is no rancid smell (if in bulk bins) and avoid any that have evidence of moisture in the packaging.
Shelled peanuts should preferably be stored in the fridge, where they’ll keep for three months, or in the freezer, where they’ll keep for six.
Those in the shell should be kept in a cool, dark, dry place.
I feel in love with peanuts in Asian applications the first time I tasted chicken satay in a Thai restaurant more than two decades ago, and today’s recipe is my version of peanut Asian noodles.
Enjoy, and happy Sunday!
Peanut Asian noodles
1 cup tofu cubes or cooked cubed or shredded chicken
4 cups of cooked Asian noodles (rice, bean, or wheat)
2 cups of lightly steamed veggies, like carrots, squash, and broccoli
Peanut oil for pan
Toasted coconut, chopped peanuts, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped scallions and lime quarters for garnish
Dressing
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about one lime’s worth)
2 tablespoons dark roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons unrefined peanut oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar, honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (optional, to taste)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
½ cup canned coconut milk
Fresh grated ginger to taste
Whisk together sauce ingredients except ginger in medium bowl. Peel fresh ginger and grate to taste over bowl of sauce. Start with a small amount, whisk, and taste. Repeat until desired flavor is achieved.
If using tofu, marinate tofu in sauce for about ½ hour.
Heat oil in pan; remove tofu from sauce (reserve sauce), add to pan and allow it to crisp up a bit.
Add sauce, noodles and veggies to pan; mix and warm through. If using chicken, add along with these ingredients.
Garnish with any combination of coconut, peanuts, cilantro, and scallions. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over noodles.
Note: If Asian noodles are not available at your market, spaghetti, vermicelli, linguine, or fettuccine may be substituted.
Recipe by Esther Oertel.
Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .