Grido’s Book of Random Facts: Volume. 1

Exploding peanuts

Now, peanuts, appear harmless enough don’t they? Well would they look so innocent if I told you that they were a component in dynamite?

So, how exactly are peanuts involved in dynamite? Well Dynamite is made from Nitroglycerine which is also known as trinitroglycerin, and glyceryl trinitrate, is an oily, explosive liquid made by nitrating glycerol. So nitroglycerine is made from glycerol. Glycerol or glycerine, is a viscous liquid used in soap, cream, and food. Glycerol is made of…that’s right…Peanut oil! Peanut oil is of course made from peanuts! So there you have it! The principle ingredient of dynamite is peanuts!

In fact as dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel (the founder of the Nobel Peace Prize) and that he made his fortune from it, you could conceivably concur that without peanuts, there very possibly would never have been a Nobel Peace Prize.