Peanuts are a traditional snack all over the world. During the winter season, from November through March, all over India, one will see roadside stands - ranging from woodsheds to shiny trailers - offering peanuts. Sometimes they are hard to open with one's fingers and one must resort to using one's teeth, but according to most people, they are worth the trouble.

Usually they are eaten outside where it doesn't matter if the shells are tossed or spit on the ground. Peanuts make for a popular snack and are also used to make cooking oil and peanut butter. They are also an ingredient in many Asian dishes.

Peanuts are a legume, and are grown underground unlike the other nuts which grow on trees and hence are fruits. It may be defined as a self-pollinated, one- to six-seeded legume which is cultivated throughout the tropical and temperate climates of the world. Peanuts are also known as groundnut, earth-nut, arachis nut, monkey nut and goober pea.