Still Together After Four Hundred Years (NAPSA)—AIl through thehis- tory of our country, peanuts have been there in one form or another. To commemorate this relationship and to honor America’s 400th Anniversary, USA-grown peanuts will be handed out at Jamestown 2007 events throughout the year. Jamestown colonists A are thought to have brought peanuts as sustenance aboard the ships that carried them across the Atlantic in 1607 because of their nutrients. It was a food introduced to the English and the Europeans by the earlier explorers to the new world. The peanut wasfirst grown in South America. Evidence suggests peanuts were domesticated in Argentina or Bolivia, and that Peruvian tribes planted peanuts in their graves as early as 750 B.C. By the time the Spanish began their exploration of the New World, peanuts were grownasfar north as Mexico. The explorers took peanuts back to Spain, where theyarestill grown. Thanks to the many world travelers, peanuts are a central ingredient in cuisines across the globe. Many nations—from Senegal to Spain—have a peanut stew or a soup with peanuts as a major ingredient. Sarah Rutledge’s “The Carolina Housewife,” an American cook- book published in 1847, contains oneof thefirst recipe references to peanuts during colonial times. Of course, peanuts are wildly popular in Virginia and the Car- Jamestown VIRGINIA 1607-2007 @ This year, Jamestown Settlement celebrates its 400th anniversary and its connection with USAgrown peanuts. olinas, home to the Virginia peanut, which is valued for its large kernels. One of four peanut types grown in the United States, Virginia peanuts are enjoyed both in the shell (sold at sporting events and in other venues) and shelled, as a key ingredient in gourmet meals. Besides being fun to eat and delicious, USA-grown peanuts offer more than 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients and can be part of a varied, balanced diet that promotes good health. They are a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, niacin and folate— the naturally occurring form of folic acid. Peanuts have zero trans fats and are naturally cholesterolfree. To learn more or to enter a his- tory contest for your chance to win a free T-shirt, visit the Web site at www.nationalpeanutboard.org.
