peanuts

The peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a legume native to South America, not a true nut as the common name suggests. The plant produces a distinctive fruit structure wherein the flower stalk elongates after pollination and pushes the developing pod underground to mature. Peanuts develop within a thin shell in clusters of one to four pods, each containing two to three seeds with thin red or tan seed coats. The kernels possess a sweet, rich, earthy flavor with subtle buttery notes and are encased in a papery inner skin that may be removed before consumption. Major cultivars include Virginia, Spanish, Valencia, and Runner varieties, which differ in size, oil content, and flavor intensity.

Peanuts are consumed worldwide in both raw and roasted forms, and serve as the primary ingredient in peanut butter and peanut oil. In Asian cuisines, particularly Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian cooking, roasted peanuts are ground into paste for satay sauces, noodle dishes, and curries. In Western cuisines, peanuts appear as snack foods, in confections and brittle, and as thickening agents in sauces. Boiled green peanuts are a traditional Southern U.S. preparation. Peanuts are also pressed for oil used in cooking and salad dressings, prized for its high smoke point and neutral flavor profile.