Are peanuts and groundnuts the same thing?

Yes – in some cultures they are called groundnuts simply because, unlike other nuts such as hazelnuts or walnuts, they grow underground in pods. Technically they are not really nuts but, as their name suggests, members of the legume family, which includes peas and beans. Peanut kernels are actually the seeds of the next crop.

Where are peanuts imported from? Twenty years ago, half of all peanuts grown came from Africa, but over the years they have been squeezed out by America and, more recently, China. However, over the past 18 months or so, according to Mark Cuddigan of the speciality nut company Dormen’s, peanut prices have more than doubled, because the Chinese are keeping more and exporting less. There is, however, an embryonic resurgence in the African market, heralded by the recent arrival of the first Fairtrade peanuts from the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi. As well as guaranteeing a fair price, a premium is ploughed into the community.

Are peanuts good for you?

Because of the way they have traditionally been eaten here, roasted and salted as a snack, peanuts haven’t been acknowledged for their healthy properties in the same way as other nuts. Also, for some people, peanuts are a major allergen. They are, however, high in monounsaturated or “good” fats, and antioxidants. Some peanut companies are promoting baked, salt-free nuts. “We produce packets of mixed baked nuts that include peanuts and are like bags of superfood,” says Cuddigan.

What about peanut butter?

This can have salt, sugar or dextrose, palm oil or vegetable oil and fat, and sometimes stabilizers added to it. An exception is Equal Exchange’s Fairtrade Organic Peanut Butter, which comes in crunchy or smooth, with or without salt, but with nothing else added (www.equalexchange.co.uk).

How long should you keep nuts for?

Packaged nuts are flushed with nitrogen to help guard against them turning rancid. “We have a ‘best before’ date of just four months from production,” says Cuddigan. “Like all foods, the sooner you eat nuts, the better, and they’re freshest within the first month.”

Where to buy

Dormen’s peanuts (www.dormens.co.uk) are sold nationally. Fairtrade peanuts are in most supermarkets. Liberation (www.chooseliberation.com), a Fairtrade company supporting co-operatives in Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Kerala, produces mixes of baked peanuts and cashews that are sold in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Oxfam.

Readers’ queries

Where can I buy an old-fashioned cage for storing cheese?

The Fine Cheese Company in Bath has a handmade wooden cheese coop, £27, with mesh “portholes” to allow the cheese to breathe (01225 448748; www.finecheese.co.uk).

If you have a food query, e-mail food.detective@thetimes.co.uk

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