Basic Introduction to Baji Small Peanut
The peanut, known as the “longevity fruit,” is universally loved for its nutritious kernels, which everyone enjoys eating. Many people's primary reason for loving peanuts is their delicious taste, but the nutritional content of peanuts far exceeds your imagination.
The Baji Small Peanut is a specialty of Suyang County, Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, and is protected under the National Agricultural Product Geographic Indication. It has a long history and distinctive local characteristics. The unique sandy soil gives the Baji Small Peanut its white shell, thin skin, full seeds, and uniformly beautiful shape. After roasting, the peanuts are fragrant, sweet, crisp, and have a pleasant mouthfeel with no residue and are not greasy.
The planting areas for the Baji Small Peanut are located in a specific natural environment, at the southern edge of the temperate zone, near the sea without mountains, with low and flat terrain. This region belongs to a transitional subtropical monsoon climate. The winter is dry and cold, while the summer is humid and warm. Spring is mild, and autumn is cool. The seasons are distinct, with ample sunlight, abundant rainfall, and a longer frost-free period. The annual average temperature is around 14.2°C, with an average of 2215.9 hours of sunshine per year and an annual precipitation of 906.2 millimeters. Floods, early frosts, and other natural disasters are relatively rare, and the pests and diseases that threaten peanut production are less severe due to the dry and cold winter. Such a climate is suitable for peanut cultivation.
Nutritional Value
The Baji Small Peanut contains approximately 50% lipids, 25% protein, and is rich in various vitamins, including Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin E. The lipids it contains are primarily unsaturated fatty acids, with about half being monounsaturated fatty acids. Additionally, it contains multiple proteins, and the amino acid composition is diverse. Among the eight essential amino acids, only lysine is present in smaller quantities, while the others are abundant.
Product Characteristics
The Baji Small Peanut grows in sandy soil, with a white shell, thin skin, full seeds, and a uniformly beautiful shape. After roasting, the Baji Small Peanut is fragrant, sweet, and crispy, with the features of “white, fragrant, sweet, crisp, no residue when eaten, and not greasy.”
History and Folklore
The Baji Small Peanut has a history of more than two thousand years and a rich local tradition. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius traveled from Lu to Wu to teach, passing through Baji. Local scholars invited him to lecture, some offering dried meat and others the local peanut produce. After tasting the peanuts, Confucius praised them, saying, “Such a small fruit can confer longevity.” After he left, the place where he taught was named “Xuecheng,” and a house was built there with a memorial plaque. The peanuts he praised were named “Longevity Fruit.”
In the Qing Dynasty, when Emperor Qianlong toured the south, he passed through Suyang County. The county magistrate at the time offered Baji Small Peanuts as tribute. The emperor remarked, “Truly imperial fruit!”
Methods for Preparing Baji Small Peanuts
Spicy Drunken Peanuts
Ingredients
Main Ingredients: 1 plate of peanuts
Seasonings: 1 small spoon of salt, 1 small handful of Sichuan pepper, 1 handful of dried chili peppers, 1 small spoon of sugar, an appropriate amount of vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Wash the peanuts and soak them in water overnight, then remove the red skins and refrigerate them overnight.
2. Cut the dried chilies into sections and remove the seeds. Fry the refrigerated peanuts in a cold pan with cold oil slowly until the moisture evaporates, then remove them.
3. Heat the oil, then add the peanuts back in and fry them in hot oil for a moment before removing them.
4. Leave a little oil in the pan, add the dried chili peppers and Sichuan pepper, stir-fry until fragrant, then add the fried peanuts and mix. Add sugar and salt for seasoning and serve.
Awards and Honors
Between 2002 and 2005, the Baji Small Peanut received the titles of “Jiangsu Province Famous Brand Product” and “Jiangsu Province Famous Trademark.”
On December 20, 2011, the former Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China officially approved the implementation of national agricultural product geographic indication registration protection for “Baji Small Peanut.”