FACT #7

Peanuts are actually a legume, making them a member of the family of plant-based items that includes lentils, beans and soybeans.

True to the legume family, a peanut is composed of an edible seed that grows inside a pod. One reason you may not readily associate peanuts with those more familiar legumes is that you don't eat the peanut's dry and brittle pod, like you do with many legumes -- the green bean, for instance.

Another difference lies in where the nuts grow. You won't find a peanut growing on a tree, as you would with almonds or cashews. Called forage legumes, peanut pods grow under the soil, originating from a bush-like, creeping plant. When they're ripe and ready to harvest, they're pulled up, similar to a carrot or potato. Perhaps the nickname "ground nut" is a more descriptive title for this tasty legume

As peanuts grow underground, they can become contaminated with a strain of mold called aflatoxin, which can cause illness. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture carefully monitors peanut production and halts the process for any peanuts with unsafe levels of aflatoxin