Peanuts are delicious plain or processed, and I am a devoted fan. They are irresistible when slightly hungry, watching television, or drinking. I often visit Chiba and have checked many souvenir shops, but its signature peanuts are expensive almost everywhere. A cheap bag can disappoint when it turns out to be imported. If you find Japanese-grown “imperfect” peanuts, however, they are clearly worth buying. I found these at Mizunosato Sawara Roadside Station.
Imperfect Peanuts from Ohno Farm
A 230-gram bag cost ¥400, probably about half price. 
The best-before date is on the back, about three months from purchase. The bag is discounted because it contains nuts outside normal appearance standards. Regular Chiba peanuts cost roughly twice as much, so this is unquestionably good value. 
How do these inexpensive imperfect peanuts taste?
The shells certainly vary in shape and size. A few nuts were brown, hard, and inedible, but plenty of ordinary delicious ones remained, making the price attractive (^ ^) Once you start crunching peanuts, stopping is difficult. For relaxed snacking with a drink or television, imperfect nuts are sufficient; for a gift, standard grade looks better. Mizunosato Sawara also sold beautiful regular-grade peanuts (^^) Above all, Japanese peanuts had a rich, delicious flavor. After finishing the bag, I could hardly tell why most were classed as imperfect. One or two were crushed, but that can happen in regular bags too. This was such a good purchase that I wanted ten more bags immediately. Thank you for the treat! Read “Mizunosato Sawara Roadside Station” for details, and see more Chiba souvenirs below.
The attraction of this bag is not merely the low price. It also allows buyers to enjoy a local agricultural product in an honest, everyday form rather than paying only for perfect appearance. The irregular shells make the contents feel closer to something bought directly from a farm. There is naturally some variation, so I would not choose this grade for a formal present. For my own home, however, the strong roasted aroma and satisfying crunch mattered much more than uniform size. Finding a few unusable nuts did not outweigh the savings, especially because the majority were rich and flavorful. It is exactly the kind of practical roadside-station discovery that makes souvenir shopping in Chiba enjoyable.
Imperfect Peanuts Product Info, Expiration Date, Manufacturer
| Product Name | Imperfect Peanuts |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / Seller | Ohno Farm |
| Address | 512-3 Takahagi, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Expiration Date | Approximately 3 months from purchase |
| Place of Purchase | Mizunosato Sawara |
| Price | ¥400 |
