Peanut Arachis hypogaea - Groundnut Peanuts have been found in ancient Peruvian mummy graves in Ancón and Paracao and there is evidence to show that they were grown in pre-Inca times in Peru. One of the most important plants to leave the Americas in the so-called ‘Columbian Exchange’, the groundnut, which is actually a legume, swiftly became a staple in several far-flung corners of the world. In Indonesia and Malaysia they form the basis of most of the salads and sauces and in West Africa, they fill out many of the traditional meat stews. The oil, when refined, is light and tasteless, making it ideal for the lighter cooking styles, such as Chinese and Thai and its above average resistance to heat, hence burning, makes it doubly attractive to these cuisines, where cooking takes place at extremely high temperatures. And, although high in polyunsaturates, it does not go rancid quickly - important in warmer climates. Peanuts are a concentrated form of energy, an excellent source of protein and fibre, a good source of the B-Vitamin group and vitamin E. However, they are very high in fat. Unfortunately, nuts, and peanuts in particular, are one of the most common allergen groups, with as many as one in 200 people being affected. In the most extreme cases, the smallest trace of nut can trigger a reaction which leads to a state known as anaphylactic shock, often fatal without a countering adrenaline injection to restore the heartbeat of the victim. Recently, however, research scientists at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in the United States, have announced that they are currently working on a potential genetic vaccine to be offered to those at high risk. Although this has only been tested on rodents so far, they are confident that this could become a viable option for human patients within a matter of just a few years. 100g of roasted, salted peanuts contain 602 kcalories, 24.5g protein, 53g fat, 7.1g carbohydrate, 3.8g sugars, 6g fibre, 37mg calcium 1.3mg iron, 400mg sodium and 0.18mg Thaimin. Peanuts do score well, however on the Glycaemic Index, the scale which calculates the rate at which blood sugar levels rise when a particular carbohydrate bearing food is ingested, well underneath the 50, at just 14.