Boiled Peanuts

Peanuts are not considered to be merely a crunchy snack. In northern provinces they take starring roles, possibly because there is some symbolism attached to them: the Chinese word for peanuts, hua shen, is a synonym for ‘success’. They are boiled, fried and roasted, as well as processed into oil. Buy them raw, with their skins on, and they can be cooked in a seasoned broth.