6 Historical context of peanuts in Mexico

Peanuts are a legume known to originate from the South American subtropical region, used by indigenous people of the land. Also known as cacahuate, a name that originates from the indigenous tribe: Nahuatl, Mexican tribe. The African Slave Trade made peanuts known globally for commerce as they made their way to different regions of the world to be adopted and used. Afro-Mexicans pay homage to their ancestors by maintaining the tradition of the use of peanuts through their cuisine. A fusion of flavors influenced by the African slave trade and the indigenous Mexicans of the land.

Peanuts originate from South America, in the Peru-Brazil region of the continent, and it was used by the indigenous Americans of the region as food. Once the Spanish and Portuguese conquered the Americas, they traveled to the African continent and introduced peanuts. The Africans were able to adopt and use peanuts to add into their diets through time. In certain African cuisines you could find peanuts in meat stews, vegetables, and fish dishes along with being mixed with onions and chiles to form a sauce.                       

As the African slave trade (16th and 19th century) kicked off, approximately 200,000 African slaves were brought to Mexico during 1519-1650. Many of the slaves came to work at sugarcane fields and became domestic servants. The port of Veracruz was used at the time as a point of entry, where many of the slaves traveled along the coast. Another large group came in through Acapulco, where many still inhabit Costa Chica.  With peanut crops already established in South and Central America, the slaves brought their knowledge of peanuts with them and through time they integrated indigenous Mexican foods with theirs, creating a fusion of flavors. Today, we can see the influence of the peanuts being used in foods such as the pollo encacahuatado, which is chicken in peanut sauce, or made in pastry such as Polvorones de Cacahuate.