I guess I had forgotten that not everybody is familiar with this wonder food! I had my first boiled peanuts at Hyman's in Charleston about 13 years ago. They're served like chips at a Mexican restaurant, but unfortunately they usually don't refill the bowl! Hyman's is one of my favorite places in Charleston, not that I have any un-favorite places there. It's a tradition to go there for your first meal upon arriving in town. Okay, it's MY tradition.
If you like edamame,
you'll like boiled peanuts, trust me. They're salty, and not crunchy. They have some tooth, if cooked properly, but no crunch. You couldn't pay me to eat a roasted peanut. blech. Some folks just open up the shell and eat the peanuts out of it. BUT - the best way is to have them hot, in their salty peanutty broth, and put the entire nut in your mouth, shell and all. Use your teeth to break open the shell, and that way you don't miss a drop of the sodium overload contained within. Then you can use your hands to extract the nut itself. Not very ladylike, but no one is paying attention to you - they're too busy digging in to get some more for themselves.
I found a history and recipe for this taste treat here.
The upstate of South Carolina boasts boiled peanut stands like South Florida boasts hot dog stands, but sans the bikinis.
Here's an article about Greenville's Peanut Man.
In fact, we love boiled peanuts so much here in South Carolina, we even have a scratch-off named after them.
8 comments:
When I moved from Ohio to the south (then Mississippi), I was like "Yuck!" when I saw a sign for boiled peanuts. I have to admit that I've still never tried any.
Can you believe I've never eaten boiled peanuts or been to Hyman's!
The long line is so discouraging.
Well, you certainly answered my question on boiled peanuts. You can have my share. I'll still never try them since I can't stand peanuts or peanutbutter. I know ~ How can I be american! Thanks for clearing that up.
Ohhh I love hot boiled peanuts. My husband's aunt in Orangeburg SC used to grow jumbo peanuts. They boiled up so nicely.
I love edamame - I'll have to find boiled peanuts and give 'em a try.
L love some warm or hot boiled peanuts. If I get desperate enough I'll most definitely eat them cold. There's a boiled peanut stand outside the Harbison Wal-Mart
in Columbia. They just don't make them good and salty like they used to.
I haven't had them in years but love them. They have them in small brown paper bags at the local Hardware store her in town, but that's the only place I have seen them lately.
I love love love boiled peanuts. I grew up in northwest Florida and they were sold everywhere and on nearly every street corner. Now I have to buy them canned mail order from Whitley's peanuts. *sigh* People up here in Mass just don't know how to eat.
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