The Wonderful World of Peanuts

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PEANUTS By: Lara Velez HISTORY Before I begin with the history of peanuts you should probably know that the peanut is not a nut. The "pea"nut is actually more closely related to the pea. It is a member of the legumes family. Also, peanuts do not grow in trees like nuts do. They grow on the ground. They start out as flowers, and eventually wind up burrowing underground. Under ground is where they become a delicious peanut. OK - so where did these little guys come from you ask? Well, they are thought to have originated in South America...possibly Brazil or Peru. When the Portuguese began to explore "The New World," they took peanuts back home with them. Portuguese traders took them as far as Asia and Africa. In the United States, peanuts became popular during the Civil War. Then around the 1900's many mechanical devices were invented to help with the processing of peanuts. As a result their popularity increased even more. Speaking of inventions...George Washington Carver invented over 300 uses for the peanut, including; medicine, ink, soap, shampoo, ice-cream, and axle grease. Today, peanuts are eaten all over the world. They have become a huge money making industry. In the United States alone they contribute well over 4 billion dollars yearly to the economy PEANUT TRIVIA Americans consume 700 million pounds or 3.3 pounds per person, of peanut butter per year