The first time I tasted boiled peanuts was in China in 1999. Since I was used to oil-roasted, salted peanuts, it took time for me to acquire a taste for the Chinese way of boiling peanuts.
Although archeologists have dated the oldest known domesticated peanuts to Peru about 7,000 years ago, it was Portuguese traders in the 17th century that introduced peanuts to China.
Peanuts became popular and are featured in many Chinese dishes, often being boiled, which enhances the health benefits of the peanut.
What scientific studies have proven about the boiling process is that peanuts prepared this way are preserved and the presence of phytochemicals are enhanced having the same qualities as antioxidants, which are noted for protecting the body’s cells against heart disease, diabetes and several different forms of cancer. – Live Strong.com
In fact, a 1990 Harvard study determined that women who ate five ounces of more of nuts per week were only 65 percent as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease as women who avoided eating this legume.
Another study in 2007 at Alabama’s A&M University’s Department of Food and Animal found that the health benefits for boiled peanuts were far healthier than oil-roasted, dry or raw. The states of Florida, Mississippi, George, Alabama, and North and South Carolina also have a tradition of eating boiled peanuts.
The Chinese boiling process brings out and enhances the health benefits of the peanut, and the Chinese eat more boiled peanuts than any country on Earth.
Perfect Insider.com reports that, China leads the world in peanut production with 18.7 million metric tons (one metric ton is 2,205.62 pounds). India is in 2nd place with 6.8 million metric tons. The United States is 3rd with 4.1 million.
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