We continue our adventure to discover Filipino cuisine, and adobong mani, garlic-fried peanuts, will be my second recipe this month.
It is pronounced “ah-doh-bong mah-nee” and, if there was a contest to elect the number one street food in the Philippines, adobong mani would be the clear winner!
The Filipinos consider adobong mani a major source of nutrients that can boost brain power. In the Philippines, you can buy them at all street corners. The peanuts are presented with or without the skin according to your taste.
There is always a seller of adobong mani hiding in the streets, carrying a large bilao which is a flat, shallow bamboo round basket lined with banana leaves or old newspaper. The peanuts are served in brown paper bags whose price is determined by their size.
Adobong! Does it remind you anything? Adobo of course! This emblematic main dish of Filipino cuisine</ a> that Mike prepared a few days ago. He explained to us that the word adobo came from the Spanish word adobar, which means marinade or sauce.
What if we talked about peanuts?
Peanut is a fruit that grows beneath the ground. Its flower grows in the sun, but in order to mature, the stem bends towards the ground and disappears underground. The Germans call it “Earth acorn”(erdeichel) or “Earth nut “(erdnuss).
Let’s trace the origin of this South American plant. One of the first known objects that testifies to the human consumption of this fruit is a pre-Columbian vase discovered in Peru. It actually had the shape of a peanut.
In the seventeenth century, peanuts came to Africa, and the most important export of Senegal. It even took the name of “Casamance”, after the river and the region south of Senegal.
In the nineteenth century, in Germany, it was also called “Cameroon nut”. All these names have now disappeared.
During the same period, this fruit came to Europe, with the Spanish conquistadors. Some of them who saw peanuts for the first time in South America realized that they were an excellent source of food for their travels. So they imported some to Europe.
This is why, peanut is still called Spanische Nuss (Spanish nuts) in German-speaking Switzerland nowadays.
In Spanish however, it’s called cacahuete (as in French). The word comes from cacaguate, from Aztec word tlalcacahuatl, associating the words tlalli meaning “earth”, and cacahuatl meaning “cocoa”. For the Aztecs, peanut was therefore a subterranean cocoa bean. For Portuguese, it is an almond, and for Germans, it is a nut.
But is it really a nut? Well, not really ! Its English name “peanut” can help answer the question. But no, it’s not a nut!
Imagine that the peanut is actually a cousin of the white bean. Yes, it is a legume! Hence the “pea” in peanuts! Its Latin name is arachis, which gave their other name in French and Italian (arachide).
But the peanut today also means “nothing” as in “it’s worth peanuts”!
The basic recipe of adobong mani is a non-spicy version. But siling labuyo, a Filipino green hot pepper, or Thai chili sauce, can also be added.
Adobong Mani
Ingredients
- 2 lb peanuts (with or without skin)
- 1 head garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Peel all the garlic cloves.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. When the oil is hot, over medium-high heat, dip the garlic cloves and fry until they turn golden brown.
- Remove the garlic and set aside.
- Fry the peanuts over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Drain the peanuts in a sieve and season with salt.
Vera is the “expert” of the 196 flavors’ duo. With over 30 years of experience in the kitchen, she is now sharing her skills as a private chef and cooking instructor.
Zoey says
I think some I’ll enjoy my beer with some adobong mani on the side. Thanks for the recipe!
Rosalie says
Thank you for featuring our fave local snack in the Philippines. Just have to correct you on “SILUY LABUYO”.. that should be “SILING LABUYO” with the root word-“SILI” which means “CHILI”. I am a Filipino living in the U.S. and I usually cook this whenever I miss home. My kids love this snack too. Glad they don’t have allergies with nuts. lol..
Hands Doing Things says
Hola Rosalie! Thanks for letting us know! Article has been corrected!