Peanut butter from peanut is very familiar to us through the meals daily. Peanut butter is with bread for breakfast. Peanut butter is as sauce in the dish for lunch. And peanut butter is as an additional ingredient for special dish in dinner. And the interesting thing is that we use peanut butter and think of the peanut as the nuts but they are not truly.
What does the family peanut belong to?
Peanut contains in the word with “nut” but it is not nut. It belongs to Leguminosae or called family Fabaceae. This means that peanut is a part of bean and pea obviously. It grows under the ground as other types of legume family with the time for harvesting after 4-5 months of growing.
Peanut is a part of legume family but with the nut contained in the word to make many people confused. However this is also the interesting detail to make our life and cuisine to be more attractive. To explain for the using of a part of “nut’ in the word peanut, it is said that it is the result of the using of this type as nuts in culinary. This is the simple explanation but many people accept this. In the reality, peanut is used as nuts more than bean or pea. It is used for making sauce; butter as the very popular peanut butter that we consume daily and effective ingredient in salad, dishes in different ways of cooking. So peanut in some ways is considered the special bean with the nut role.
Where is the origin of peanut?
Although there is not much the evident from the archeology to prove the origin of peanut such as the evident for legumes or food origin in types with the fossil things, but it was believed that peanut came from Peru and Brazil about 3.500 years ago. It was found out the pottery with peanut shape or the decoration of peanut on the jars. Beside there was the history document gave the information that the peanut was used as a sacrificial offering in ceremonies in Peru at least from 1.500 BC. It played a certain role in their spiritual life of habitants in this area for a time.
And following the traders also the explorers, the peanut came to Asia and Africa in 18th century. It was grown popularly in The U.S in 19th century and then.
Why is so popular peanut and peanut butter?
In the 20th century in The U.S, peanut became more popular with the product as butter contained the high protein. It was considered the good source for old people who could not use the nuts with their poor teeth. From this moment, the peanut and peanut butter created many changes in culinary.
Peanut has given not only the normal products as snack with the fried way or roasted way; it has been used as a great ingredient in confectionery products, chocolates and cooking oil. And in the list of products with peanut, peanut butter and peanut candy have been consumed widely till today. Especially peanut butter is not for old people only. It is the wonderful product that attracts people in all ages with the good combination in different dishes by the taste, nutritive value and economical value also.
What is the nutritive value from peanut to our health?
Peanut is rich in nutrition with the high protein and different nutritive factors included minerals and vitamins that good for health.
It is found out in the peanut the elements such as poly-phenolic antioxidants that helps to reduce the risk of stomach cancer; resveratrol that helps to reduce the risk of stroke and against heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease.
Beside the amount of rich vitamins such as Vitamin E, Vitamin B from the peanut may contribute to the healthy brain and help the blood to be easy in its circulation.
Peanut allergy
The warning of peanut allergy is the important point related to peanut consuming to all people. There are some people who meet the peanut allergy. They will have to face with the status of vomiting, stomach pain, even chest congestion. The serious status from the peanut allergy may lead to the death if there is not the emergency treatment timely.
Additionally the peanut is easy to be infected the mold. It may create the aflatoxin caused of cancer. So you are advised to be careful to use the peanut with the best quality and processing to avoid the risk from this.
