Rummaging through the pantry, I came upon something long forgotten. Awhile back I had picked up a canned product called Boiled Peanuts. I can’t for the life of me remember why I was intrigued at the time; nevertheless, they came home with me.
But, now that I think of it, if I remember right, it was due to an allergy book I was reading that talked about how Americans roasted their peanuts, which was uncommon around the world, and possibly related to why so many people in the United States are allergic to peanuts. I had never heard of a boiled peanut before.
Tonight turned out to be the night I would actually open the can and do a little research. I was not expecting to find what I did. There in front of me were whole (hairy) peanuts, in the shell, sitting in brine. I was expecting to see them out of their shell, similar to a can of cooked beans. What on earth do I do with these? Time to read the can and then go to their website.
Apparently you just eat them. First you slurp the salty water, pull open the shell and eat the peanut, like a bar snack. They are very popular in Hawaii and the South, and also China and the Philippines. China and Hawaii, typically add Star Anise to their brine.
They are pretty good and start to become a little addicting. I would like to explore some enhanced flavor options.
By the way, peanuts are actually legumes, not nuts. Just in case you were wondering.