Chefs | National Peanut Board

Since our start, the National Peanut Board has worked with chefs across America to get people thinking about peanuts in new and different ways. Today, you can find peanuts in creative culinary dishes, on restaurant menus, TV shows and throughout this website. The National Peanut Board remains a go-to resource for all things peanut for today’s most innovative chefs and restaurants.

So Many Ways to Molé

Peanuts and peppers are common ingredients in molé, the national dish of Mexico. Their use is steeped in the rich history of the sauce’s origin. Their shared heritage with the sauce is why peanuts remain an important part of traditional Mexican cuisine, and why some modern variations of molé use peanuts as the predominant ingredient.

What Millennials Want

Millennial dining trends were the focus of a summit held by the National Peanut Board in May 2016. Food industry experts Maeve Webster of Menu Matters, Katie Ayoub of Flavor and the Menu magazine, and Tara Fitzpatrick of Food Management magazine presented on the topic. Millennial peanut farmer Casey Cox also shared peanuts’ sustainability story, an important factor for these diners. Eighteen chefs attended the intimate NPB gathering and created dishes for this impactful age group.

International Flavor Trends: Southeast Asia

Tasty international foods and flavors continue to be popular and now we see an increase of international restaurants, cookbooks, and ingredients sold in supermarkets. Peanuts are an essential ingredient in the Southeast Asian pantry. They are mainly used for oils, sauces and to give crunch and flavor to salads and stir-fries.

International Flavor Trends: Africa

In many parts of Africa, peanuts are usually known as groundnuts because the nut pods grow underground. Peanuts play an important nutritional role in many parts of Africa, since they have good fats and contain 7 grams of protein which helps combat child malnutrition. They grow well in semi-arid regions and are a staple food as well as a revenue source for farmers. Although native to South America, the Portuguese introduced peanuts into their African enclaves, where they quickly spread throughout tropical Africa.

Young Black Chefs Rediscover Roots of African Heritage in American Cuisine

As millennial chefs and foodies seek out authentic global flavors, they are introducing new cultural cuisines to the American food scene. In fact, West African dishes, and peanuts themselves, are experiencing a culinary reawakening as chefs trace the roots and discover the indelible influence of African heritage on American culture and cuisine.

Peanuts Pack a Punch for Snackable Flavor at the Winter Fancy Food Show

In January, the National Peanut Board (NPB) was at the center of the latest flavor trends and hottest products in specialty food at the 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. While more than 80,000 products were on display this year -- ranging from organic camel milk to aged pancetta to the latest in cold-brew coffee flavorings – peanuts and peanut butter held their own.

This Chef Reveals How He’s Innovating with Peanuts, and It’s Making Our Mouths Water!

If you think you’ve had the most amazing peanut dish ever, think again. Chef Ian Boden caught our attention with some curious peanut creations at his restaurant, The Shack. He is a 2013 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef, and his aptly-named 24-seat restaurant in small-town Staunton, Virginia has been featured in Garden & Gun, Esquire, and The Local Palate. We met up with him to find out more about his culinary credentials, and how he’s serving up some mouth-watering peanut dishes.

Change in Menu

It’s easy to see what’s trending on the food scene these days because it’s usually preceded with a hashtag. But how do chefs and restaurateurs set the course for the next menu-item meme, and how can peanuts play a role in the changing landscape of food trends? One behind-the-scenes trendsetter who inspires change in culinary cuisine is Patrick McDonnell, chef consultant and senior partner of McDonnell Kinder and Associates, LLC.

Dietitians Get a Taste of Peanut Harvest

When the seasons change to autumn, peanut farmers go into high gear. The Fall is harvest season and this year several registered dietitian nutritionists had an opportunity to visit a farm and witness the annual peanut harvest first hand.