Today, September 13th, is National Peanut Day.

Peanuts are one of those foods that are not what they seem - they aren't actually nuts, but are legumes, like beans and lentils. People allergic to peanuts do not have a nut allergy, but have a peanut allergy. Of course, they could be allergic to both.

Peanuts have many names, such as ground nuts, earth nuts and monkey nuts. They do grow under the ground. The oldest record of the domestication of the peanut dates back about 7,600 years in Peru.

The American scientist George Washington Carver reportedly discovered 300 different uses for the peanut. Peanuts are common in many foods.

Image: Morguefile