Remember boiled peanuts

Summer has not yet arrived, but the heat of May is sweltering across the Central region, causing many changes in people's moods. After more than 30 years away from home, I have become a Da Lat resident since the early 90s of the last century.

Summer in Da Lat lasts from about April to September with very cool and pleasant weather. Because it is located at an average altitude of 1,500 m above sea level, the temperature here is only 18 - 22 degrees, not stuffy or hot like in provinces and cities in the plains or coastal areas like my hometown Binh Thuan .

Like many others, sometimes on weekend afternoons, I and a few colleagues who are also living far from home to work in the city of thousands of flowers would choose a small street stall to have a few cold beers to cool off. And at the corner of the small roadside stall, my childhood memories came flooding back when my friend bought two cans of boiled peanuts from a street vendor from the Central region to snack on. Sipping a glass of beer, chewing on a few boiled peanuts, I remembered a vast sky in my hometown that was still full of hardships during the subsidy period. At that time, I was about fourteen or fifteen years old; a dreamy age, full of aspirations. I remember, every afternoon on the porch of the empty thatched house, after a meal that was literally just enough to fill us up, but not delicious enough, so our stomachs were still very thirsty. The basket of steaming boiled peanuts that my mother brought out was a whole sky of dreams and happiness for those children. The boiled peanuts at that time were mostly immature beans and flat seeds; Old beans were saved to sell to make money to cover living expenses. The people who produced the product only ate the beans that could not be sold, which was also the common reality of farmers' lives at that time, when the country had not yet changed. To have boiled beans to eat for the whole family, when harvesting, peanuts were selected and put into two separate baskets. The large basket contained the old, plump beans that could be dried; a few were used as seeds, the rest were saved to sell slowly when needed. If they were not dried, fresh beans were sold to traders who supplied boiled beans all over the market. The small basket contained young, flat beans; this quantity usually only accounted for a very small percentage compared to the old beans. If there were a lot, they were given to relatives nearby to boil for fun, or sold cheaply to traders. But the main thing was to boil the beans for the whole family to eat together for fun. Eating boiled peanuts like this in the dark without lights or moon was less lucky than unlucky. Luckily, I put the beans in my mouth, although small, they are very sweet and fatty, rich because they are fresh, boiled soft on a fire with wood. The least bad luck is that I put in my mouth only water, the beans are very small, but still sweet. The "unlucky" one puts in his mouth a whole bunch of sand, because the beans are damaged by ants, the sand flows inside, but at night it is not detected, a ladle of water to rinse the mouth is the most effective solution at this time. To avoid such bad luck, before boiling the beans, my mother often puts them in a basin of water to wash and soak; the damaged beans will float to the top and be scooped out. Thinking about the part where I ate the damaged beans, I suddenly startled back to the present; the sky of childhood, many memories flashed through my memory. Chewing the still hot beans that had just been bought from the boy, but there was still a slightly rancid smell coming from my nose; My friend frowned, then the boy quickly explained: "I took these beans from someone else to sell for profit, maybe they were a day old and re-steamed", the guys sympathized with him. We silently looked at the boy in fear, my friend said: It's okay, you just go, come back and return the beans, don't sell them anymore, it will harm other people's health. The boy thanked him and withdrew.

Boiled peanuts have become a specialty today; a dish that is present everywhere from urban to rural areas. The dish is suitable for all groups and ages in society. It is both a snack and a source of diverse nutrients that are beneficial to human health. According to functional analysis: Boiled peanuts are a rich source of nutrients. They contain a lot of protein, fiber, healthy fats and other important vitamins and minerals. Peanuts have many health benefits, similar to other expensive nuts. They are good for the heart because they can reduce the risk of heart disease. They contain a number of nutrients that are beneficial to the heart such as magnesium, niacin, copper, oleic acid and other antioxidants such as resveratrol. At the same time, they help reduce cholesterol and prevent aging because peanut oil contains a significant amount of phytosterols, the most common type being beta-sitosterol. Phytosterol has the effect of reducing cholesterol absorption from the digestive tract, helping to reduce cholesterol levels circulating in the blood. However, we should not use boiled beans that have been left for too long because it will be harmful to health, especially the digestive tract. Summer is coming, sitting and remembering the poor life when I was a child in the countryside; I really cannot forget a simple, modest life, but full of love in the days of longing.

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