Peanut

Arachis hypogaea · Legume

40 pairings

The peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is the oil-rich, edible seed of a low South American legume that buries its own pods underground to ripen. Mild and faintly beany raw, it turns deeply nutty, sweet and toasty the moment it is roasted — the flavour the world knows as peanut butter, satay and the roasted snack.

Picking a good onedrag

New crop, dry and crispStale, rancid or mouldy

Shop freshThe all-rounder: roasting, satay, brittle, peanut butter. For anyone with a peanut allergy this is dangerous food - traces are enough, so keep scoops and boards apart.Everyday best

Kernel colourA shade duller, colour still even

The snapSnaps, a little less brittle

SmellQuiet, the nuttiness faded

Pods and packA shrivelled pod or two, a little dust

What to look for, from new crop, dry and crisp to stale, rancid or mouldy.

What one gives you

72%

Usable yield

720 g kernels a kilo of pods · shells off

Preparing