In 2017 my wife Mary decided to introduce her very special recipe of roasted peanuts to our stall at the Old Packhouse Market in Kerikeri (Bay of Islands). They were an instant success and very quickly many customers started requesting different flavours. Soon after she introduced the Chilli and Lime version.

These peanuts have an interesting history. Mary was a child during the Vietnam war living in what was then Saigon with her mother and siblings. Her father was not living at home for fear of her brothers being taken as prisoners of war. Her father was recruited by the US army and worked as a driver and translator far away from Saigon. Her mother had no income without opportunity for employment during the time of conflict. Mary and her older sister started to roast peanuts and would sell them to the locals in the street. It didn’t take long for a handful of US soldiers to buy some (to go with their Budweiser probably) and the word spread. Mary got landed with delivering the peanuts on one of her brother's bikes loaded with bags of roasted peanuts. She was around 8 years old and the bike was far too big for her. It was a struggle to ride fully loaded, not being able to reach the pedals. She delivered to a number of US soldier frequented bars where the boys new her as the wee peanut girl. Some of the soldiers (probably the foodie ones) advised her on how to make the peanuts more orientated to the European pallet so her secret recipe was born. She and her sister never made their fortune but did manage to help the family through that terrible time of conflict. To this day, even now living in New Zealand, Mary supports her mother back in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) through the sale of her very special peanuts.

They are roasted in our Extra Virgin Olive Oil then coated with her secret recipe of soy sauce, garlic powder, herbs & spices, and a hint of golden syrup to give them a more savoury flavour. The Chilli and Lime are just that. Both variations are all natural and contain no preservatives. The resealable Ziploc bags are also heat sealed for freshness and security so they stay crisp and tasty for weeks when unopened.