Chinese Cooking
Fried Peanuts - Step 1

Virginia Peanuts

Most Chinese restaurants in China offer fried peanuts. Pictured here you see Virginia peanuts, which we prefer. China produces mostly Spanish peanuts. China stands as the world's largest producer of peanuts but most get consumed internally. China's peanut crop in 1994 stood at 12 million metric tons while the U.S produced 2 million metric tons.You do want to buy raw (uncooked). And buy without skins when you can. The Chinese restaurants and homes will often boil peanuts but we don't have a taste for boiled peanuts. In 1994, living in China, we consumed 110 pounds of peanuts. They are a great source of protein albeit an incomplete source of protein. They must be complemented with cereal grains.