Harmoniously paired with chocolate, as American as baseball games and after-school snacks, and, when ground into a creamy paste, quite possibly the best thing to happen to sliced bread-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. Chock-full of photographs, advertisements, and peanut recipes from as early as 1847, this entertaining and enlightening volume is a testament to the culinary potential and lasting popularity of the goober pea.