What are the most common types of peanuts in China?

Peanut is an important oil crop with wide varieties, generally it can be distinguished according to the growing period, pod size, characteristics and botanical characters.

The most common types of peanuts include:

1. classify by the size of pod:

Large peanut: with thick shell, big fruit type, every hundred kernels weight 80 grams or more, with the largest distribution area.
Small peanut: with small grain size, thin shell, every hundred kernels weight about 50 grams, suitable for planting in sand, mainly in Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan, southwest of Henan and so on.

2. Classify by the characteristics and the botanical characters:

Ordinary type peanut: the shape of kernel is elliptic or long elliptic.
Pearl type peanut: the shape of kernel is round or peach, large and in pink skin and every hundred kernels weight about 50 – 60 grams. Pearl type peanut is early-maturing, its growth period is about 120 days and suitable for southern areas’s spring and autumn double cropping.

Valencia type peanut: with 3 – 4 kernels, the shape of kernel is cylindrical or triangular, the skin color is dark red, smooth and shiny. Valencia type peanut is weak in drought resistance, early-maturing is prominent.
Dragon type of peanut: with 3 kernels, the shape of kernel is triangle or conical, skin color is red or dark red. Its surface is uneven, dull with brown spots.
Both large and small peanuts are exported, but the places the peanut exported are not the same. The export volume of large peanuts is more than small peanuts.

3. Classify by the growth period:

Early maturing peanut: the growth period is 120 to 130 days for medium maturing peanut, and the growth period is about 145 days.
Late maturing peanut: the growth period is about 165 days

It’s important to note that the type of peanut can influence its taste, texture, and suitability for various culinary applications. Different types of peanuts can be roasted, boiled, ground into peanut butter, or used in various recipes to create a wide range of peanut-based dishes and snacks.