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Raw, toasted, peeled, unpeeled, roasted, with or without salt, fried, baked, made with sugar, in paste, squeezed in oil, bathed in chocolate, and so much more.

In botanical terms, the peanut or peanut is a legume. Yes, it belongs to the family of chickpeas and lentils although in the gondolas it is very round next to the nuts, almonds and chestnuts. An important and ancient crop in Latin America, in the 16th century the Portuguese and the Spaniards took it to Africa, India and China, where it was easily adapted. Today, like other American products, this grain is a prince in distant gastronomy, like the cuisine of Southeast Asia and Africa.

From Córdoba to the world
In its planetary expansion, Argentina has a primordial role: it is the main exporting world country of high quality peanuts. About 90% of the cultivated area is located in the province of Córdoba, where there is, since 2012, the denomination «Maní de Córdoba», an important certification that protects and guarantees its excellence. According to the Argentine Chamber of Peanuts, more than 90% of the production is exported to Europe (60% corresponds to blanched peanuts – without skin).

Superfood
It is a powerful seed: its consumption provides vitamins, antioxidants, proteins. It is excellent for leveling cholesterol, it is antidepressant, it stimulates endorphins, it is energizing and its contribution is studied in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. So important is the peanut that is the basis of a therapeutic food that is used in African countries to combat the evils of severe child malnutrition: it is the Plumpy’Nut (a paste of peanuts mixed with milk, sugar, fats, minerals and vitamins) that the French scientist André Briend invented in 1994. According to statistics, 9 out of every ten children under five treated with this supplement managed to overcome malnutrition.

Customs
Argentines eat little peanuts, as they said, almost everything is exported. But there are some traditions that come from yesteryear and are maintained: it is a classic of the bar, it is served without asking to accompany an ice cold beer or an aperitif. And if the traveler rests in a porteña plaza, he will surely find some vendor of pralines: those tasty peanuts bathed in syrup will be the best trip to childhood. During the festivities there is no shortage of chocolate or nougat (far away we have imported almonds and chestnuts): here peanuts reign.

Source: Large Products

Fuente: Grandes Productos