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Japanese-style peanuts
Floured deep-fried peanuts From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Japanese-style peanuts are a type of snack food invented in Mexico, made from peanuts that are coated in a wheat flour dough and then fried or roasted.[1] They are also known as Japanese peanuts, cracker nuts, or snacking peanuts in English, cacahuates japoneses or maní japonés in Spanish,[2] and by various other names in different countries. They come in a variety of different flavors. The Mexican version's recipe for the extra-crunchy shell has ingredients such as wheat flour, soy sauce, water, sugar, monosodium glutamate, and citric acid.[3][4][5] The snacks are often sold in sealed bags,[6] but can also be found in bulk containers.
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Japanese-style peanuts were created in Mexico during the 1940s by Japanese immigrant Yoshihei Nakatani, the father of Yoshio and Carlos Nakatani.[7] He lost his job after the mother-of-pearl button factory he worked at, named El Nuevo Japón, was forced to close after its proprietor came under suspicion of being a spy for the Empire of Japan.[8]
Nakatani had to find alternatives to provide for his family.[9] He obtained a job at La Merced Market, where he initially sold Mexican candies called muéganos. Later, he developed a new variety of fried snacks he named oranda that he named after the like-named fish. He also created a new version of a snack that reminded him of his homeland, mamekashi (seeds covered with a layer of flour with spices), that he adapted to Mexican tastes.[10][9] Nakatani sold them in packages decorated with a geisha design made by his daughter Elvia.[10] While his children tended to the family business, Nakatani and his wife Emma sold the snacks on local streets.[8] Sales of the snacks were so successful that Nakatani was able to obtain his own stall at the market.[11] With the help of Nakatani's son Armando, the family established their business under the brand Nipón in the 1950s; the name was registered as a trademark in 1977.[12]
Nakatani never registered the patent for the snack. As a result, various competitors made their own versions of Japanese-style peanuts. Nakatani's company Nipón remained independent until it was sold to Totis in 2017.[7]
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Similar foods
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Chinese Indonesian Frans Go established the Netherlands based company Go & Zoon (later Go-Tan) and began manufacturing borrelnootjes, peanuts coated in a crisp starch-based shell, under the name Katjang Shanghai (Shanghai nuts) in the 1950s.[13] In China, the snack is often called "fish-skin peanuts".
Thai snack food company Mae-Ruay started producing peanuts fried in a wheat flour-based batter flavoured with coconut cream under the brand name Koh-Kae in 1976.[14]
An identical product is sold in Lebanon under the name "krikri"[15] or "kri-kri" peanuts.
In Israel they are known as "American peanuts" (Hebrew: בוטנים אמריקאים, botnim Amerikaim).
The term "cracker nuts" was first used by the Philippine brand Nagaraya in 1968.[16]
A Japanese version originated in Okinawa, called Takorina, has the image of a Mexican charro in the bag, and it is claimed to be called "Mexican-style peanuts", though the rumour has been disproven.[17][18][6]
Picard Peanuts is a Canadian company that produces Chip Nuts, a snack food brand consisting of peanuts that have a potato chip coating.[19] Various flavors of potato chips are used in the product's production.[20]
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References
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