LUSBY, Md. – When a Calvert family couldn’t find local boiled peanuts, a popular and beloved snack food in the south, they started making and selling their own.
On the 28th episode of The BayNet’s Podcast, “Get Real with Chris & Mark,” Special guest Robert Phillips from MayLee’s Boiled Peanuts, ‘Gets Real’ about how he brought boiled peanuts to Southern Maryland.
Phillips and his partner April started MayLee’s Boiled Peanuts in 2020 during the pandemic. The couple met in Florida, where they regularly snacked on boiled peanuts from gas stations and roadside stands.
Phillips mentioned that the business name combines his partner’s name, April May, and his name, Robert Lee.
“This is like a Tuesday, Thursday. Oh, I didn’t get my boiled peanuts this week; we have to go out and make a special trip kind of thing. That’s how they are,” Phillips told Chris and Mark.
In addition to their delicious taste, boiled peanuts are also a healthy snack and a good source of protein and fiber.
“I had people crossing three lanes of traffic. I brake for boiled peanuts. That’s a thing,” exclaimed Phillips.
During the episode, Chris and Mark tried MayLee’s Orginal and Cajan flavored peanuts, but they also offer other rotating flavors like Old Bay.
Phillips explained that eating boiled peanuts is all about preference. Some people eat the shell, some don’t, while others prefer to spit it out.
“They are great hot, cold, or lukewarm. You can eat them any which way,” Phillips suggested.
The history of boiled peanuts dates back to the 1800s. Peanuts were a cheap and abundant food source during the slave trade and civil war for people forced to work long hours without much sustenance. They would often boil peanuts in salted water to make them more palatable and easier to digest.
“When you cook them with chicken or beef… all those nutrients go out into the brine and back into the seed. So you could feed a troop of 300 people with one piece of ham hock,” explained Phillips.
Over time, boiled peanuts became a popular snack food in the region, and their popularity spread throughout the South. With their delicious taste and easy accessibility, boiled peanuts quickly became a symbol of southern cuisine.
Chris, Mark, and The BayNet crew described the boiled peanuts’ flavor and consistency as comparable to baked beans or baked potatoes.
Phillips said that his venture wouldn’t end with boiled peanuts. Instead, he is considering making more items like hummus, eventually moving into a food trailer, and opening a commercial food facility.
“I want people to eat these just like they are eating crabs. I want them to be at every ball game, every picnic, every crab boil. You can even boil them with your crabs,” Phillips urged.
You can catch MayLee’s Boiled Peanuts at Savor Solomons Food Truck Fest on March 25th, 2023.
Check MayLee’s Boiled Peanuts Facebook Page for stand location updates.
Watch the full episode for Chris and Mark’s reaction to trying boiled peanuts for the first time: https://youtu.be/P_IWCtV0Zzg
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Once a week, Century 21 New Millennium Realtors Chris Hill and Mark Frisco ‘Get Real’ with topics surrounding life in Southern Maryland while showcasing local business tastings and highlighting hidden gems in the area.
You can watch or listen to previous episodes at: www.thebaynet.com/podcasts
If you’ve got a great podcast idea or an awesome business you want to be mentioned, email us at partnerships@thebaynet.com. We’d love to hear more about it!
