Peanut
Arachis hypogaea · Legume
Top 10 pairings
An oil-rich legume seed, not a true nut, from a South American plant that ripens its pods underground. Mild and beany raw, it turns deeply nutty, sweet and toasty when roasted, the taste of peanut butter and satay.
Picking a good onedrag
New crop, dry and crispStale, rancid or mouldy
Shop freshEveryday bestMake satay or brittle. Traces endanger anyone with a peanut allergy, so keep scoops and boards apart.
Kernel colourA shade duller, colour still even
The snapSnaps, a little less brittle
SmellQuiet, the nuttiness faded
Pods and packA shrivelled pod or two, some dust
What you get from one
72%
Edible part
720 g kernels a kilo of pods · shells off