At River City Cafe, we are well known for our #allabouttheburger tagline. But if you have ever visited one of our restaurants, you know that we offer a great deal more on our menu than just burgers. However, one of our most talked-about items is not even on the menu but can be found on almost every table. No, we aren’t talking about the brown paper on the tables or the markers everyone uses to sign our walls.
We are talking about peanuts. Peanuts are a guest favorite, a River City Cafe staple, and one of the most missed items during the pandemic. I know my kids love eating them as much as they love tossing the shells on the ground. Yes, part of it is because they feel deviant and as if they are getting away with it because they know it would never be allowed at home. They also enjoy cracking open a shell to find what may or may not be inside.
Besides being extremely fun to eat, peanuts are an excellent source of healthful fats, protein, and fiber. They contain plenty of potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and other B vitamins. They are very high in calories but nutrient-rich and low in carbohydrates.
As part of the legume family, peanuts are known for their edible seeds. They are mainly grown in the tropics and subtropics. Peanuts are an important part of both small and large commercial producers. Due to its high oil content, it is classified as a grain legume and oil crop.
The world’s annual production of shelled peanuts was 48.5 million tons in 2016. China was responsible for 38% of all peanuts produced that year. Contradictory to most legume crop plants, peanut pods actually develop underground. Peanuts are valuable in crop rotations since they require less nitrogen-containing fertilizer and actually help improve soil fertility for other popular crops like corn.
Peanuts have a similar taste to walnuts or almonds and are served in many different ways in Western cuisines and many different dishes worldwide. The oldest known use of peanuts dates back to approximately 7,600 years ago. Archeologists found remains of peanut pods in Peru well before the Spanish arrived. European traders are believed to spread the peanut worldwide through their trade routes as they did with corn and many other spices.
Regarding English-speaking countries, the United States takes the trophy for the highest usage of peanuts. It served mainly as a garden crop during the colonial period but slowly shifted into a feedstock for animals. It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that it was pushed for human consumption by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The development of peanut butter in the 1880s and 1890s in the U.S. and Canada helped increase human consumption to much higher levels.
Regardless of how they got here, at River City Cafe, we love peanuts. We love watching families pass a bowl of them around the table. It makes us smile every time we see the joy on the face of a little one when they crack open a shell and toss the peanuts in their mouth. We love cooking you great-tasting, flavorful burgers, but at the end of the day, we do it for the smiles!
You can view our full menu here: https://rivercitycafe.com/menu-3/
River City Cafe has seven locations to serve you along the Grand Strand. Visit your closest location today! Need directions? Visit https://rivercitycafe.com/locations/
Did you know that River City Cafe is part of the Divine Dining Group family of restaurants? Check out our sister restaurants, view our open staff positions, and/or purchase gift cards for your next visit here: https://divinedininggroup.com/
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