Peanuts, which are also known as groundnuts, despite their name and how they are commonly referred to, are not nuts. Instead, they are a type of legume or bean. The fruit of the peanut, rather unusually, grows under the ground.
The plant from which peanuts are harvested, which is known by the same name, has been domesticated for at least 7,000 years in South America. Since then, peanuts first spread across the Americas, before being transported around the rest of the world by European traders, with the largest harvest being grown in the People's Republic of China.
Peanuts are a popular snack food in many countries, where they are eaten boiled, dry roasted and salted, as well as an ingredient in cooking and many other dishes. Some uses for peanuts other than as snacks include in peanut oil and peanut butter. As a culinary ingredient, they are used in many different dish types, both sweet and savoury. In the United States in particular, peanuts and peanut butter are common ingredients in many sweet dishes. including cakes and cookies.
Peanuts are a good and rich source of many nutrients, but on the downside, peanut allergy (which isn't truly a nut allergy, because peanuts aren't a nut) is common and potentially fatal.
No comments:
Post a Comment