If you like roasted peanuts, if you love their brittle body and toasty crunch, chances are you will be stunned when you first encounter a boiled peanut. The shell doesn’t crack. It gets peeled away, revealing little legumes that are as soft as boiled Fordhooks. (Some boiled peanuts, made from very young pick-in’s, are eaten shell and all.) Colloquially known as goober peas, boiled peanuts were once available only from spring through autumn, sold warm and ready to eat at roadside stands throughout the Carolinas and much of the Deep South. While ad hoc sellers continue to offer a seasonal snack opportunity for motorists, boiled peanuts have become a year-round amuse-bouche in Southern-themed restaurants and are often found as free snacks in bars. They usually are eaten standing up, sitting in a rocking chair on a porch, or while driving. Alternatively, they can be threaded through the neck of a full bottle of Dr Pepper, where they mix with the syrupy sweet soft drink.
Visitors are welcome to tag Timbo’s boiled peanut Airstream with their handle or an appropriate sentiment.