Peanuts: The Illustrious History of the Goober Pea

The peanut's rise from a lowly bean to national favorite

The peanut is one of the most versatile and beloved of American food icons. In this first culinary history of the protein-laden legume, Andrew F. Smith follows the peanut's rise from a lowly, messy snack food to its place in haute cuisine and on candy racks across the country.

Chronicling how peanut consumption and production has changed throughout history, Smith highlights the peanut's role in the ways economic distress, wartime condi...