There’s no doubt that peanuts and peanut butter are adored by many Canadians. In fact, research indicates that peanut products are so popular that nine in 10 Canadians reported having peanuts and/or peanut butter in their homes. With many health benefits, lots of flavour and endless cooking possibilities, what’s not to love?
Not only are peanut products a Canadian favourite, they’re also a global favourite. Recently, the Peanut Institute held an event at the Culinary Institute of America where details of the common uses of peanuts around the world were highlighted. Below are some unique culinary highlights:
In West Africa, a peanut sauce made with onions, garlic, peanut butter or paste, along with vegetables like carrots, cabbage and cauliflower, is served by itself or with chicken; people (particularly in Mali) also use peanut butter or paste in a meat stew called maafe; in Ghana, spicy peanut butter soup (nkatenkwan) is a favourite, along with peanut candies/snacks called kuli-kuli; peanut powder is used as a coating for kebabs in Nigeria and Ghana.
In Malawi and eastern Zambia, peanuts go into relishes to accompany nshima – rolled balls of the nshima cornmeal cakes are dipped into the relishes; thick peanut butter sauces in Uganda accent rice and other starchy foods.
Latin America also provides some examples of ethnic peanut applications: in South America, peanuts go into sauces that accent meat dishes, especially rabbit; in Peru peanuts are roasted with chilies and blended with roasted onions, garlic and oil for a sauce to go with boiled potatoes (papas con ocopa, famous in Arequipa).
Indonesia sees peanut sauces factoring into vegetable dishes and salads like gado-gado, pecel, karedok and ketoprak; peanut sauce is also served with satay.
In India, peanuts are roasted and seasoned with salt and chili powder as a snack; for dessert, peanuts are processed with jiggery; they also go into salads and stews, and peanut oil is common for cooking.
These unique uses for peanut ingredients represent a retail opportunity to capitalize on new products, displays and promotions.
Source: Food Product Design