Peanuts are an important crop in many Southern states, and are found in a wide variety of popular recipes. Peanuts, actually legumes rather than nuts, are sometimes called groundnuts because of their unusual fruit development. After the flowers are fertilized, they wither to the ground and bury themselves; the pods mature underground. They are usually harvested by uprooting the whole plant to dry the nuts. Another common name for peanuts here in the South is "goober," or "goober-pea," which comes straight from the African "nguba." Peanuts are a rich source of protein (roughly 30 grams per cup after roasting). They are a good source of niacin and thus contribute to brain health, brain circulation and blood flow.