Peanut (Arachis hypogeae Linn,) is also called earthnut, groundnut, goober and pindar in common English. In Urdu, it is called 'mungphalli'. It is a small prostrate tropical plant that can grow to a height of 50 centimeters and does well in sandy loam soils. It is believed to have originated in Brazil, South America from where it has spread to other countries.
Now it is widely cultivated in the West Indies, Myanmar, India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and many other countries. Peanut is a reticulated pod, having 2-4 chambers) each chamber contains a seed wrapped in brown membrane. The showy yellow flowers that appear are the staminate ones. The productive, pistillate flowers are inconspicuous, after being fertilised they bury themselves in the ground and develop into the peanuts that we eat in several ways.
Peanut is one of the important oilseed crop in the world. The oil extracted from it is used in cosmetics and also in cooking food. The seed yields 50% oil and about 25% of protein, besides it also contains phosphorus, thiamine and niacin. The peanut oil cake is fed to milch cattle to promote their milk yield. It is also used as an organic manure, which is a source of adding Nitrogen to the soil from the root nodules. In rural areas, the peanut oil cake is used by the women to shampoo their hair to keep it black and bright. Some urban ladies also use to shampoo their hair with the peanut oil cake for its attributive quality.
The peanut has now become something like a winter treat and is treated as an item of dry fruit like pine nuts and walnuts. Peanuts are sold decorticated, un-decorticated salted, and roasted sold in packets. On wintery evenings, when one is leisurely chatting in front of the TV set, watching favourite programmes with the whole family, peanuts are served along hot drinks like corn or chicken soups, Sipping hot tea and coffee to dull the effects of the chilly weather.
Peanuts give an unconditional company, when one is awaiting for a friend to pass moments of tiring wait. Peanuts are also a good company when one is watching the cricket or hockey or football match in a stadium, especially when it is the winter season. In the city streets, when a travelling hawker calls "garma garam mungphalli" (hot and hot peanuts) the faces of the children doing school home work lit up and they run out of their homes to buy their favourite groundnuts. Peanuts are used in making bakery products like the biscuits or cakes etc peanuts are also used to make desi chocolates called 'chikki' made in Gur "jaggery" that are the most favourite item of the children. Even adults vie with the children to grab a "Chikki". Crushed kernel is also eaten spread on bread.
Peanuts have medicinal benefits. A few medicinal benefits are: the peanut is anti-diabetic, weight reducing, helps in chronic constipation and keeps the gums in healthy condition. With all the good of peanuts, it is better that the peanuts are eaten in moderation to offset its harmful effects, if any.