Boiled Peanuts ? really ?  REALLY !! Well, traveling to the South, one will find definitely some foods which will appear weird or strange such as a variety of BBQ, corn, grits, chowder and stews and of course "boiled peanuts" . There are traditional boiled peanuts, Cajun boiled peanuts and sometimes some other flavors too. Boiled WHAT, one will ask !? Peanuts are to be roasted, right ?! Why would you boil them? Occasionally called “the Caviar of the South,” boiled peanuts are, in fact, exactly what they sound like. One would not want to grab a bag of ballpark peanuts and toss them into a stockpot. Those peanuts are already roasted.  To properly boil peanuts, one has to start with raw peanuts, and if available at all, with green peanuts. Green peanuts aren’t really green, they’re brown on the outside and white on the inside. “Green” in this case, refers to the fact that they are fresh, un-roasted, not dried, and straight off the vine. It is difficult to find a lot of green peanuts outside the South, as most of them are grown right here, and Southerners know how great boiled peanuts are. By the way, boiled peanuts are the official state snack of South Carolina. Boiled peanuts can be made at home, but they are abundantly available at roadside stands, gas stations, ball games, etc. How do they taste? Well, difficult to describe but I hear, it is tasty like soap or edamame. No question, one has to develop a taste for it. The peanut softens, sometimes to mush but is also sometimes on the border of crunchy and tender. Purists will prefer them boiled and flavored with salt only, but others like them with Old Bay spice, with Tabasco sauce, smoked paprika or curry powder.  Like all great American regional foods, there are even different ways to eat them. Some people crack the soggy shells open with their hands. Some people pop the whole peanut in their mouth, crack it open, extract the nut and spit out the shell. Some with intrepid digestive tracts even eat the whole thing, shell and all. And when you come to our area, I will definitely introduce to you this specialty, maybe make it even your house warming gift ! Always work with a local REALTOR who is familiar with the area, the homes, neighborhoods, price to value and of course the local cuisine and treats. You can find your new home on my website: mailto: uappleby@gmail.com or 843-345-2625. My website is www.DefinitelyCharleston.com Ute Lisa Appleby, Realtor AGENTOWNED REALTY CO., Mt Pleasant SCReal Estate/Leasing/Property Managementcell:    843.345.2625      efax:  843.725.6501 www.DefinitelyCharleston.com        www.agentownedrealty.com