But where did these nuts come from? And where are they grown now?
Peanut History The peanut probably originated in Brazil or Peru. Graves of ancient Incas often contained jars filled with peanuts to provide the spirit with food. Spanish travelers brought peanuts to Spain, Mexico, Africa, and Asia. When Africans were brought to North America as slaves, peanuts came with them. The slaves then planted peanuts throughout the South.
Peanuts are sometimes called "goobers." The word goober comes from the Congo word "nguba" and gives us a clue about the peanuts' African heritage. During the Civil War, soldiers ate peanuts as snacks. In 1903, George Washington Carver began his research on peanuts and discovered more than 300 uses for them, including shoe polish and shaving cream.
For more details on the uses Carver discovered for peanuts, including coffee, paper, axle grease and beverages, check out the African-American Inventor Series at http://edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu/~rlandrum/peanut.htm.
Peanuts in the U.S. Today, nine states grow most of the country's peanut crop. Georgia grows nearly half of all the peanuts grown in the United States, followed by Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Oklahoma, New Mexico and South Carolina.
| State | 1998 Production (in 1,000 pounds) |
|---|---|
| AL | 411,600 |
| FL | 220,000 |
| GA | 1,537,000 |
| NM | 55,000 |
| NC | 400,000 |
| OK | 172,500 |
| SC | 24,725 |
| TX | 900,450 |
| VA | 210,000 |
| TOTAL | 3,931,275 |
Nationwide, peanuts are grown under a quota system with production levels and prices tightly regulated. The national quota was reduced with the 1996 Farm Bill and could come under scrutiny again when federal farm policies are reevaluated in the year 2000.
Over half of the edible peanuts grown in the U.S. are used to make peanut butter. There are four types of peanuts grown in the United States: Runner, Spanish, Valencia and Virginia. Runner peanuts are grown in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and are used mostly for peanut butter. Spanish peanuts are smaller with reddish-brown skin. They are grown in Oklahoma and Texas and are used to make peanut candies and peanut oil. Valencia peanuts are grown in New Mexico and have a bright red skin. They are sweetest of the four types and are mostly roasted and sold in-shell. Virginia peanuts have the largest kernels of the four types. They are grown in the Carolinas and Virginia, and are roasted and sold in-shell and shelled.
Peanut Tidbits
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