Here's a common Southernism that, prior to living here, I only ever saw from car windows at roadside stands as I flew through Dixie. The boiled peanut is roughly the Southern equivalent of Northerners' deviled eggs. They are easy to make, well loved, and leave only a little, biodegradable refuse: a portable treat with character that can be carried to picnics, barbecues, and parades, and lends its bearer a dash of pizzazz. It's a food that tells a story, lets people know where they are, and, depending on their presentation and taste, can make or break a social reputation. Down here, they're as common as cornbread or watermelon. Everyone makes them for the Fourth. They're salty enough to burn your mouth and soft enough to melt on your tongue--tres Southern!
