Food Trivia Question from the Oriental Oasis Newsletter
TRIVIA QUESTION: My name might lead you to believe that I grow on a tree. Actually I am actually a type of legume, and have more in common with garden variety beans and peas than exotic almonds or walnuts. While I am a popular ingredient in Asian cooking, my origins lie in the tropical climes of South America. Early explorers discovered jars filled with me in Inca graves, presumably to provide nourishment for the dead in the afterworld. I was one of the many foods Christopher Columbus took back with him to Spain, and from there I eventually made my way to Asia. Besides being an excellent source of protein, I contain phytosterols, thought to offer protection against certain types of cancer. What am I?
TRIVIA ANSWER: Peanut. In many parts of the world peanuts are called groundnuts, due to the fact that they grow underground. A popular addition to Chinese stir-fries, they are featured in dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken. Southeast Asian satays (the Asian version of shish kebab) wouldn't be the same without a peanut sauce for dipping. Peanut oil is favored for Chinese stir-frying and deep-frying, both because of its flavor and because it can be heated to high temperatures without burning.
Recipes:
Five
Spice Peanuts
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung
Pao Chicken Stir-fry
Noodles
in Peanut Sauce
Peanut
Sticky Rice
Peanut
Sauce With Cilantro and Mint
Peanut
Sauce With Coconut Milk and Curry Paste
"Mediterranean Diets more successful in Long Term Weight Loss Diets..." An interesting study, conducted by Harvard Medical School and Brigham's Women's Hospital in Boston, found that particpants who followed a Mediterranean style diet that included peanuts and peanut butter had greater success taking off the weight than participants on a more traditional low-fat diet. This interesting feature comes from the Peanut Institute Web site, which was also the source for some of the information contained in the Trivia Question.
