Boiled Peanuts
A classic Chinese snack featuring peanuts slow-simmered with savory and aromatic spices.
Story
Boiled peanuts are a quintessential Chinese comfort food and a beloved street snack, especially popular during the warm summer months. Often served as a cold appetizer alongside a refreshing beverage, these peanuts are slowly simmered with a fragrant blend of spices until they absorb an incredibly rich, earthy flavor and achieve a satisfyingly tender texture.
Ingredients
peanuts
500g
cinnamon bark
1 small piece
bay leaf
1 slice
star anise
1 piece
salt
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
The freshly dug peanuts had a lot of soil on them; it took over a dozen washes to get them basically clean. Although there is still a little sediment, it is no longer a big deal. Compared to some of the perfectly white, bleached ones on the market, eating these brings much more peace of mind.
2
Step 2
Put the peanuts into a cooking pot, add water, just enough to submerge the peanuts. Then add cinnamon bark, bay leaves, and star anise, add some salt, and boil over high heat for 15 minutes. Switch to low heat for 5 minutes; once the water boils dry, they are almost cooked. I slightly overcooked mine and scorched them a bit, but it gave them a unique flavor.
3
Step 3
Sprinkle with a little chopped scallions to garnish, it is very fragrant.
