Thanks to the productivity of the peanut plant in warm climates, peanut oil is an important cooking oil, especially in Asia. It’s made by steaming the peanuts to inactivate enzymes and soften the cellular structure, then pressing them; the oil is then clarified and sometimes refined to remove some of the distinctive flavor and impurities that would lower the smoke point.
From the book On Food and Cooking (2nd edition) by Harold McGee. © 2004 Harold McGee.
By permission of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.