It is generally thought that the peanut plant has its origins in South America. It was spread by European explorers initially in Europe and eventually worldwide. For centuries, peanuts have been continuously nourishing people all around the world offering an enjoyable flavour. Peanut is an annual plant. It is actually a legume which belongs to the pea family. An unusual characteristic of this small plant is that the pods develop underground! Traditionally, peanuts are harvested by pulling the whole plant out of the ground and leaving it with the peanut pods out of the soil for a couple of days to dry. After the peanuts have dried sufficiently, they are threshed, removing the peanut pods from the rest of the bush. It is particularly important that peanuts are dried properly and stored in dry conditions.