Boiled Peanuts

Peanuts, though American in origin, came to South Carolina with the slave trade from West Africa, where they were—and are—frequently used in cooking. No one knows the origins of our singular treat, boiled peanuts, but to those who love them, as I do, there is no better snack. Peanuts are of two types—bunch and vine—and many varieties. I never eat boiled peanuts except when they are in season (July through September), because they are good only when made from freshly dug “green” peanuts—and