Peanuts are known by many other local names such as earthnuts, ground nuts, goober peas, monkey nuts, pygmy nuts and pig nuts. Despite its name and appearance, the peanut is not a nut, but rather a legume -related to beans and lentils.
- Astronaut Allen Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon.
- The peanut plant originated in South America- Paraguay.
- Peanuts are naturally cholesterol free.
- One out of every 90 people in the US suffers from a peanut allergy.
- The largest producers are China, India and the United States.
- The peanut was introduced to China by Portuguese traders in the 17th century and another variety by American missionaries in the 19th century.
In the Indian subcontinent, peanuts are known as a light snack by themselves, usually roasted and salted (sometimes with the addition of chilli powder), and often sold roasted in pod, or boiled with salt. They are also made into little dessert or sweet snack pieces by processing with refined sugar and jaggery. --Chikki!!
Indian cuisine uses roasted, crushed peanuts to give a crunchy body to salads; they are added whole (without pods) to leafy vegetable stews for the same reason. Another use of peanut oil as cooking oil.
Peanuts are not native to India. They are thought to have come to India from Philippines. Notably, the name of this nut in northern parts of Tamil Nadu is 'மணிலாக் கொட்டை'- slang மல்லாக் கொட்டை- (Manila-k-kottai) means nut from Manila, the capital city of Philippines.
- 20% of the world's peanut production is used in candy.
- Two US Presidents have been peanut farmers: Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
- The official state crop of Georgia is the peanut, Georgia is the number one producer of peanuts in the US.
- Peanut shells can be used in the manufacture of wallboard, fireplace logs, roughage for livestock feed and kitty litter.
- Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
- The term "peanut gallery" became popular in the late 19th century. It referred to the "cheap seats" in the theater where audience members would throw peanuts, a common theater food at the people in the more expensive seats or at the performers to express their dissatisfaction with the performance.
