"A peanut topping," says Mai Pham, chef-owner of Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, CA, and author of two books, "is significantly more than a garnish. It's a critical flavor component," she says. "It satisfies on many levels, as flavor, as a visual finish to a dish, and to confer that umami effect in the mouth."

Imagine a Phad Thai or a green papaya salad without the finishing peanuts. In the case of Thai salads, which are usually made without vegetable oil, the crushed peanut constitutes the only fat in the salad, which is critical for carrying and accentuating the flavors of the fish sauce, lime juice, fresh chilies, garlic and sugar. The fat, when delivered in the crunchy form of peanuts, integrates those flavors. If the peanuts are crushed in a mortar and pestle, a trace of oil is released resulting in an even more pronounced flavor especially when sprinkled on a delicate-tasting salad.

In Thai and Vietnamese cookery, peanuts are used as a filling. Ground and combined with other flavors and sometimes a little meat, they become the center of wrapped doughs and dumplings, usually rice dough, whole sticky rice or sticky rice pounded into a paste. "Peanuts fixed this way have nice legume flavor and softer texture than roasted peanuts," says Pham.

Peanuts sometimes serve a more substantive protein function in Vietnam. Pham remembers occasionally going to market with her grandmother for a bowl of simple rice soup that included peanuts. She remembers peanuts as a stick-to-the-ribs, belly-filling food, whether in soup or accompanied by sticky rice.

Finally, peanuts are also a popular and inexpensive snack in Vietnam. Adults love them as a snack accompaniment with drinks, often prepared by pan-roasting the peanuts then rolling them in sugar, spices and green onions. Children prefer a simpler version: boiled peanuts in the shell, served warm.

Recipes:
Spicy Lemongrass Tofu with Basil
Green Papaya Salad with Lemongrass Shrimp
Vietnamese Rice Noodles with Grilled Pork
Warm Banana Stew with Tapioca Pearls