Peanuts (Technically a Legume)
What it is
The seeds of a legume that ripens underground (hence "groundnut") — not a tree nut at all, despite the name. Sold in-shell, shelled (raw or roasted), as peanut butter, and as oil. A major allergen.
How it's made
The plant's pods develop underground; dug up, dried, and roasted or boiled. Roasting develops their familiar flavor; boiling (in-shell, in salty water) is a distinct Southern US and West African preparation giving a soft, savory, bean-like result. Ground into peanut butter or sauce-thickening paste; pressed for peanut oil.
Flavor profile
Roasted: rich, nutty, savory, sweet. Raw/boiled: beanier, softer, "green." Ground: the familiar creamy, savory richness. High in protein and fat, with a robust flavor that anchors sauces.
Culinary uses
A genuine four-continent ingredient. West/Central African: ground peanuts thicken rich stews — maafe/groundnut stew (peanut-and-tomato stew with meat), a cornerstone dish. Southeast Asian: ground roasted peanuts make satay sauce and dress gado-gado and noodle dishes; whole peanuts garnish pad thai. Chinese (esp. Sichuan/Hunan): stir-fried into kung pao chicken, ground into sauces, fried as a snack. American South: boiled peanuts (a roadside tradition), peanut brittle, and the peanut's deep tie to Southern agriculture (and George Washington Carver). Peanut butter is a global pantry staple. Toasting/grinding for sauces is the defining cooking technique.
Regional variations
West Africa (Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana): maafe/groundnut stew. Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam): satay sauce, gado-gado, pad thai. China: kung pao and fried peanut snacks. American South: boiled peanuts, peanut pie, and peanut farming heritage. South America (the origin): native and used in Andean and Peruvian sauces (ocopa, carapulcra).
Cultural & historical context
Peanuts are native to South America, domesticated thousands of years ago, then carried by Portuguese and Spanish traders to Africa and Asia, where they were so enthusiastically adopted that groundnut stews and satay feel utterly indigenous. In the American South, peanuts (brought via the African diaspora) reshaped agriculture after cotton. The botanical "legume, not nut" fact matters practically for understanding why they cook and thicken like beans — and is critical for allergy labeling.
Reference notes
- Tags: legume (not tree nut), peanut/groundnut, Whole, Ground, Roasted, Boiled, Vegetarian, Vegan; allergen: peanut
- Related ingredients: tomato (maafe), chili & lime (satay), soy sauce (kung pao), scotch bonnet
- Related cuisines: West African, Southeast Asian (Indonesian, Thai), Chinese (Sichuan), American South, Peruvian
- Suggested links: Cuisinopedia → Maafe, Satay, Kung Pao, Gado-Gado (dishes); cross-ref to Beans (botanical note)
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| Ingredient | Subcategory | Cooking Behavior | Key Prep Note | Signature Dish / Cuisine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) | Lentils | Dissolves to purée | No soak; skims foam | Masoor dal, Turkish mercimek çorbası |
| Green Lentils — French Puy | Lentils | Holds shape firmly | No soak; don't oversalt early | Salade de lentilles (French) |
| Black Lentils (Beluga) | Lentils | Holds shape, glossy | No soak; quick-cooking | Lentil "caviar" garnish, dal makhani |
| Brown Lentils | Lentils | Softens, semi-holds | No soak; everyday workhorse | Lentil soup, stews (global) |
| Chana Dal | Lentils | Holds shape, then tender | Soak 30+ min; long cook | Chana dal, South Indian sweets |
| Toor Dal (Arhar) | Lentils | Dissolves to creamy base | Rinse; pressure-cook | Sambar, gujarati dals (Indian) |
| Moong Dal | Lentils | Soft, light, semi-dissolves | Quick cook; easily digested | Khichdi, moong dal halwa |
| Urad Dal | Lentils | Sticky/mucilaginous when ground | Soak & grind for batter | Dal makhani, dosa/idli batter |
| Umbrian Lentils (Castelluccio IGP) | Lentils | Holds shape, thin skin | No soak | Lentils & sausage (Italian NYE) |
| Pardina Lentils | Lentils | Holds shape, tender | No soak | Lentejas (Spanish stew) |
| Black Beans | Beans | Holds, creamy interior | Soak; long simmer | Frijoles negros, feijoada (Latin) |
| Pinto Beans | Beans | Softens, mashable | Soak; simmer | Refried beans (Mexican) |
| Kidney Beans | Beans | Holds shape | Boil hard 10 min — raw is toxic | Chili, rajma (Indian/Tex-Mex) |
| Cannellini Beans | Beans | Creamy, holds gently | Soak; gentle simmer | Ribollita, tuscan beans (Italian) |
| Borlotti / Cranberry | Beans | Creamy, holds | Soak | Pasta e fagioli (Italian) |
| Chickpeas / Garbanzo | Beans | Holds (desi) / smooth (Kabuli) | Soak; baking soda for hummus | Hummus, chana masala, falafel |
| Fava Beans | Beans | Holds or purées | Double-peel; G6PD caution | Ful medames, bissara (Egyptian) |
| Black-Eyed Peas | Beans | Holds shape | No long soak needed | Hoppin' John, akara (Southern/W. African) |
| Cowpeas / Crowder Peas | Beans | Holds, "potlikker" | Quick soak | Field peas (American South) |
| Mung Beans (Whole) | Beans | Softens; sprouts well | Soak or sprout | Sprouts, moong dal (Asian) |
| Adzuki Beans | Beans | Softens to sweet paste | Soak; boil with sugar | Anko/red bean paste (Japanese) |
| Edamame | Beans | Tender-crisp | Boil/steam in pod | Edamame snack (Japanese) |
| Soybeans (Dry) | Beans | Processed, not eaten whole | Soak; turned into tofu/miso | Tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce |
| Flageolet Beans | Beans | Holds, delicate | Soak | Cassoulet, lamb side (French) |
| Gigante Beans | Beans | Creamy, holds large shape | Long soak | Gigantes plaki (Greek) |
| Lupini Beans | Beans | Firm, snappy | Long debittering soak (alkaloids) | Lupini snack (Mediterranean) |
| Christmas Lima Beans | Beans | Holds, chestnut-like | Soak | Heirloom bean dishes |
| Runner Beans | Beans | Holds (dried); pods eaten fresh | Soak (dried) | Runner bean pods (British) |
| Butter / Lima Beans | Beans | Soft, buttery | Soak | Succotash, butter bean stew |
| Farro | Specialty Grains | Holds chewy bite | Rinse; pearled cooks faster | Farro salad, zuppa (Italian) |
| Freekeh | Specialty Grains | Holds, chewy | Rinse; smoky | Freekeh pilaf (Levantine) |
| Wheat Berries | Specialty Grains | Holds, very chewy | Long soak/cook | Grain salads, kutia |
| Bulgur | Specialty Grains | Fluffs (coarse) / binds (fine) | Soak fine; simmer coarse | Tabbouleh, kibbeh, pilaf |
| Couscous | Specialty Grains | Fluffs separate | Steam/hydrate; not a grain | Couscous royale (Maghrebi) |
| Maftoul | Specialty Grains | Holds, pearl-like | Steam | Maftoul stew (Palestinian) |
| Quinoa | Specialty Grains | Fluffs, slight pop | Rinse off saponins | Quinoa salad (Andean) |
| Amaranth | Specialty Grains | Porridge-like / pops | Toast to pop | Alegría, atole (Mexican) |
| Teff | Specialty Grains | Forms spongy batter | Ferment for injera | Injera (Ethiopian) |
| Sorghum | Specialty Grains | Holds / ground to flour | Simmer or grind | Jowar roti, tô (African/Indian) |
| Millet | Specialty Grains | Fluffs or porridge | Toast; varies by type | Bajra roti, foxtail congee |
| Buckwheat | Specialty Grains | Holds (kasha) / flour | Toast for kasha | Kasha, soba, memil (E.Eur/Japan/Korea) |
| Barley | Specialty Grains | Holds, chewy, releases starch | Pearl quick; hulled long | Scotch broth, soups |
| Spelt | Specialty Grains | Holds, chewy | Rinse; soak hulled | Spelt risotto, breads |
| Kamut (Khorasan) | Specialty Grains | Holds, plump bite | Long soak | Grain bowls, ancient-grain breads |
| Einkorn | Specialty Grains | Tender, holds gently | Rinse | Einkorn porridge, breads |
| Emmer | Specialty Grains | Holds chewy (= farro) | Rinse/soak | Farro/emmer dishes (Italian) |
| Sesame Seeds | Seeds | Toasts; grinds to paste | Toast to bloom; grind for tahini | Tahini, gomashio, za'atar |
| Nigella Seeds (Kalonji) | Seeds | Tempered whole | Bloom in oil; not onion seed | Naan topping, panch phoron |
| Fenugreek Seeds | Seeds | Tempered / sprouted | Toast lightly (bitter if burnt) | Curry base, methi (Indian) |
| Poppy Seeds | Seeds | Ground (blue) / paste (white) | Grind blue; soak white | Poppy strudel; korma base |
| Hemp Seeds | Seeds | Soft, no cook | Eat raw; don't heat hard | Sprinkled raw (modern) |
| Flaxseeds | Seeds | Gels when ground | Grind for nutrition; egg sub | Flax egg, breads |
| Chia Seeds | Seeds | Gels in liquid | Soak to gel | Chia pudding, agua fresca |
| Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) | Seeds | Toasts; grinds | Toast; hull-off for pepitas | Pipián/mole verde (Mexican) |
| Sunflower Seeds | Seeds | Toasts | Toast; shell snack | Snacking, butter, breads (E.Eur) |
| Watermelon Seeds | Seeds | Roasted snack / ground | Roast; grind for egusi | Egusi soup (W. African) |
| Lotus Seeds | Seeds | Softens to paste | Remove bitter germ; soak dried | Lotus paste mooncake (Chinese) |
| Pine Nuts (Pignoli) | Nuts | Toasts fast, delicate | Toast gently; Asian = pine mouth | Pesto, pignoli cookies |
| Walnuts | Nuts | Ground to sauce / whole | Toast; grind for fesenjan | Fesenjan, baklava (Persian) |
| Chestnuts | Nuts | Soft, starchy, holds | Score & roast; soak dried | Marron glacé, stuffing |
| Hazelnuts | Nuts | Toasts, skins off | Toast & rub skins | Gianduja, dukkah, Nutella |
| Almonds | Nuts | Holds / flour / milk | Blanch; Marcona vs California | Marzipan, romesco, korma |
| Pistachios | Nuts | Holds, ground | Shell; Iranian most aromatic | Baklava, kulfi, mortadella |
| Cashews | Nuts | Ground to cream / whole | Caustic raw shell; soak for cream | Korma, kaju katli, vegan cream |
| Macadamia | Nuts | Rich, tender | Toast gently (delicate oils) | Mac-crusted fish (Hawaiian) |
| Peanuts | Nuts (legume) | Holds / ground to sauce | Roast or boil; allergen | Maafe, satay, kung pao |
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Cuisinopedia · Legumes, Grains & Seeds — 66 entries across Lentils, Beans, Specialty Grains, Seeds, and Nuts as Cooking Ingredients. Find the food. Discover the culture.