Why are peanuts often served as a favorite snack among Chinese people?

When I was a child, I often watched martial arts movies. In the movies, whether they were heroes, thieves, or ordinary people, whenever they came to the tavern to eat or drink, they would always order peanuts first. I wonder if everyone has forgotten "Water Margin" pass"? That scene of eating peanuts seems to have become a classic.

"Waiter, let's have a twenty-year-old daughter's red. The wine needs to be heavy. A few kilograms of beef. Well, a plate of peanuts. I want it crispy!"

This is also It has to be said that eating peanuts has a long history as a favorite snack among Chinese people.

High yield, loved by everyone

From ancient times to the present, our ancestors have been digging for food in the land. As people living in this country, the most original idea seems to be to fill in the land. A full stomach is just like when you meet an old friend when you go out. Unlike the British, we discuss the weather. What we will discuss is: "Have you eaten today?"

Have you eaten? It seems to contain a culture that has been passed down for thousands of years: food is the most important thing, and food quantity is the most important thing. After searching for data on the Internet, we can find:

An ordinary variety of peanuts can produce approximately 170 kilograms of fruit per acre when planted in the field. However, with such a new variety of peanuts, one acre can produce 170 kilograms of fruit. About 400 kilograms of fruit are produced, and the oil extracted has a mellow aroma and high nutrition, which is loved by everyone.

I have to say that this is related to China’s social and economic development. In the past, people were poor and it was difficult to eat meat. The yield of peanuts is high. If you sow a little, the harvest will be rich. Therefore, peanuts are almost the cheapest dish in restaurants; and peanuts can be fried and steamed, and the taste can be sweet, salty or sour, which can suit most people.

Of course everyone buys peanuts, and many people grow peanuts at home and don’t need to buy them. Furthermore, drinking requires a lot of food and drinks. For the same bowl of food, peanuts are small in size but large in quantity, which can last for a long time. For ordinary people, these are the most important things. Pistachios, for example, are more expensive. Walnut? Time consuming. Melon seeds? Melon seeds are the closest to peanuts and are suitable for chatting while eating. However, melon seeds are more like snacks, so restaurants rarely provide them.

Stick to the end and stay with me as always

I once saw a dish called "Stick to the End" on the menu when I was ordering food in a restaurant. I asked the waiter what it was, and the waiter told me without hesitation: "Peanuts." This aroused my interest. I was just about to ask why it was given such a name, but it became clear immediately: "Stick to the end", which means that peanuts are the most lasting dish to accompany you on the wine table.

When drinking, if it lasts for a long time, the hot dishes will become cold, and the cold dishes will also be salty and salty, and they will not taste good. Only the peanuts are still as crisp as ever, and can be eaten in one plate. It lasts a long time and can withstand long periods of drinking.

There are often parties in universities, and everyone is a young and vigorous person. At the party, they will inevitably order a few boxes of beer. After a skillful toast, everyone will raise their glasses and drink happily, and they will have a good time. . However, after three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, everyone is full of wine and food, and they are making jokes. At this time, you can't pick up your chopsticks and pout the leftovers into your mouth. Firstly, the price will drop. Secondly, the quantity is too big and you can't fit it in your stomach. It’s not easy to feel full, and if you feel full quickly, you won’t be able to eat or drink anything.

At this time, there were several plates of peanuts on the table, and then I looked at the half-box of beer left beside me. I suddenly became interested again, and started chatting about everything. I have to say, the peanuts are very strong!

The old saying makes sense, but it is not rude to speak rudely

It often happens that I am drunk and have a bloated belly, even if I eat my favorite food on weekdays. You don’t want to take another bite of chicken thighs, but when the peanuts are brought to you, you still involuntarily pick one and put it in your mouth.

Just as beer goes with fried chicken, wine goes with chocolate cake, and vodka goes with crispy bread, what goes with white wine? barbecue? beef? Chinese old and young men tell us from experience: drinking white wine must be paired with peanuts. What is the charm of peanuts that can dominate the liquor industry and stand firm? There are several theories circulating in the world, explaining why peanuts are a standard ingredient in liquor.

Perhaps you can’t help but think of this classic old saying at this moment:

“Let’s go, follow me, and I will take you to eat and drink!”

I never understood what this meant before, but then I heard from an old man that the so-called spicy drink refers to the popular drink, but actually the fragrant one refers to peanuts, and the spicy one refers to liquor.

Anyone who likes to drink knows that as soon as liquor is imported, the taste is rampant. For many people who do not know how to drink, a glass of Erguotou will make them choke to tears, and every time they drink it, they will feel upset.

At this time, add a few peanuts, especially fried ones, with a sip of wine and a peanut. It tastes crunchy, crispy and fragrant, and can overwhelm the spiciness of the wine. taste. Therefore, it must be peanuts to get the punch of liquor. Huaiyang cuisine and Cantonese cuisine are mild and irresistible. If you choose Sichuan cuisine, you will add fuel to the fire.

For drinkers, they need food that can add flavor and color to their wine; for foodies, they need to fully satisfy their taste buds when drinking. Peanuts eat both. In fact, there is a saying that because peanuts are oily, they are easy to relieve hangovers. Eating peanuts and drinking wine will make you less likely to get drunk. The effect is much better than the fennel beans described by Lu Xun. Hehe, a sip of Shaoxing old wine and a few peanuts will instantly dissolve the complex flavors and make you feel at ease.

The MVP of the wine bar, a plate of peanuts, who else could I choose?

Friends who like to go to wine bars know that drinking is the most annoying thing. When other dishes are cold and eaten, only peanuts can still be used for entertainment silently, and you can still eat them. While drinking. In addition, some people drink too much, lose control of their hands and feet, and like to move around, but peanuts can attract your attention, as if telling you: "Be calm and eat me!"

Wherever there is a big truth in every little thing, a mere peanut can have these methods. Let me ask you, after you have enough food and clothing, you always want to find something to snack on. What would you choose?

Cold dishes? No, cold dishes are also dishes, husband and wife lung slices, saliva duck, preserved egg tofu, cucumber cold skin? NO! The amount is too big, and I can’t hold it in my stomach anymore. Besides, now I can mainly drink, so what do I need? Melon seeds? Seems too petty; pistachios, hazelnuts? It doesn’t exist. We are not just kids gathering around and pretending to be a family drinker. A few brothers in their twenties and thirties are not that Western when it comes to drinking, let alone kids. You may be thinking, if that doesn’t work, how about giving each person a stick of boiled corn? Hahaha, why didn’t you say roasted sweet potatoes? So what do you end up eating? Still need peanuts.

It is best for the peanuts to be in shells. Even without shells, they must have red coats. When peeling the shells and rubbing the red coats, my eyes are slightly drunk and my ears are listening to all directions. If anyone says something interesting, I will peel the peanuts. After filling your mouth with good nuts, you will always stop to chew at this time. The old man who loves liveliness and drinks a lot around you will definitely slam the table - "Hey! Have you heard of this?"

If you hear your buddies playing cymbals against you, you can still pass them by, right? Whenever he dodges, the people around him will cheer and cheer, and the mood will be aroused, and the atmosphere in the room will become lively.

Yes, the most fearful thing about drinking is that seven or eight people in the room drink silently, talking silently, you and me, the more you drink, the colder you drink, even if the air conditioner is turned on , put on his coat, raised his cup, and Big Brother shouted: "Let's go when you're done!" - This is the most boring thing, but peanuts can solve this problem. Why? It can make you happy and lighten the atmosphere.

A good drinker will not get drunk, just look at how your hands shake

Finally, I have to mention a joke, which I also heard from others at the wine table: peanuts can detect your current condition Are you close to your alcohol limit?

At the beginning of the wine game, everyone was sober and used chopsticks to pick up peanuts to eat; by the middle of the wine game, they could no longer hold them with chopsticks and could only use spoons; towards the end of the wine game, everyone Some people probably can only use their hands to eat them by the handful. So once you can't hold it with your chopsticks, you have to worry about drinking. After drinking the whole thing, if any brother can still pick up peanuts with chopsticks, he is a god.

I still remember once, when I was drinking to the end, an old man would always fight with me to see who drank to the end. No, I can’t admit defeat. But there is a limit to wine, and people always get drunk. After eating boxes of beer, even if my stomach is not bloated, I can't hold the chopsticks steadily. With quick eyes and quick hands, I just took two pills into my mouth, and I suddenly felt confident in my heart.

Not to mention peanuts are also very valuable. I remember that the "Dietary Instructions" written by Jia Mingru of the Yuan Dynasty recorded:

"There is a kind of ground peanut recently, which is nicknamed longevity fruit." ". Peanut fruit contains protein, fat, sugar, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin K, as well as minerals calcium, phosphorus, iron and other nutrients. It has the effect of moistening the lungs and spleen, and is a good tool for curing diseases and strengthening the body. Good medicine.

The food is delicious, not expensive, and the wine is not standard. Whose turn will it be?

Just think about when I was in high school. After finishing my homework at night, I would call my friends to go out to play. Sometimes I would play late and always find a roadside stall to eat and drink. As the saying goes, wine makes you strong. I am timid. I usually get scolded by the teacher in class and tied up by my parents when I go home. When I come here and light up the white and yellow, everyone seems to be released, bragging and talking about some topics that are usually embarrassing. For some of us who don’t have much pocket money, we will choose peanuts tacitly. Eating expensive food, you are short of money, not to mention it is difficult to pay the bills when you get home!

The experience of young and old Chinese men tells us: drinking must be peanuts. As the saying goes, when peanuts are paired with wine, the more you drink, the more you drink. When peanuts are paired with wine, you have no desires or desires. The more you drink wine, the warmer it becomes. The more you eat peanuts, the more you love them. Chinese people have to drink peanuts as a standard drink!