Coca-Cola And Peanuts Are A Snack Combo Rooted In Southern Tradition

From the great plains of Texas to the rolling mountains of North Carolina, the combination of Coca-Cola and peanuts is celebrated as the ultimate on-the-go snack. Although, once you go further north to around Virginia and Maryland, you're unlikely to find locals who partake in this sweet and salty regional tradition. All you need to do is combine a bottle of cola (glass preferred) with some salted roasted peanuts. Once you take a sip, you'll have a beverage and nibble all in one.

The origins of combining Coca-Cola and peanuts are fuzzy, but it seems to have become a blue-collar staple in the 1920s across the "grits belt" of the southeastern United States. Each gulp contains a little sweet cola, some salty peanuts, and a refreshingly fizzy tang. The saltiness from the peanut seasoning actually cuts through the cloyingly sugary soda, allowing the drink's other flavor notes to really shine.

Many Southerners have fond childhood memories of enjoying a bottle of cola with peanuts poured inside as an after-school treat, on trips to sports events, or afternoons at the beach. The soda slakes your thirst, the satisfying crunch of peanuts feels like a snack, and the saltiness can replenish electrolytes in that hot southern weather.

The exact place and time of this snack's origins are up for debate, but there are plenty of educated guesses as to why Southerners put peanuts in their Coca-Cola. This combination came to popularity in the 1920s, around the same time that convenience stores began selling packages of pre-shelled and seasoned peanuts alongside their soft drinks. Some historians speculate that manual laborers, such as farmers, needed something to eat, but didn't want to touch food with soiled hands. By combining the two packages of peanuts and cola, they easily had an on-the-go snack without having to wash up.

Despite peanuts and cola sometimes being referred to as "farmers' coke," there is another theory that this treat actually began in textile mills. These factories often had something called dope wagons wandering their grounds, serving out snacks and beverages, with Coca-Cola (also known as "dope") being a popular item for purchase. It's speculated that the natural combination of soda and peanuts (or legumes, if you want to get technical) started there and quickly spread to other factories and fields with blue-collar employees.

Coke and peanuts are also a combo that can be enjoyed one-handed. This leaves the other one free to do essential tasks like shifting gears, managing the steering wheel, or (on brand with the 1920s) holding a lit cigarette. And since it's such a filling and refreshing option, you could enjoy it while driving home to tide yourself over until dinnertime.

Combining salted peanuts with Coke may sound like a simple task, but there are a few key elements to make it a truly southern treat. One of the greater food debates in the southeast, besides maybe whether you should include sugar in cornbread, is which type of cola is best when paired with peanuts. While Coca-Cola is a southern staple, others swear by using RC Cola or even Pepsi. But no matter what type of soda you choose, everyone agrees that it must be in a glass bottle for an authentic experience.

The popularity of the peanut in the U.S. south didn't come about until the early 1900s, when cotton production was blighted by weevils. Since then, seeing bountiful fields of the legume and roadside stands selling boiled peanuts have become commonplace everywhere from Alabama to North Carolina. As for combining them with cola, the go-to peanut brands include Planter's, Tom's, or Lance. Stick with the salted variety, and save low-sodium or unsalted for another day.

Now that you've chosen your cola and peanuts brands, it's time to combine these two southern staples. Open your soda and take a few sips to make more room. Pour in the pack (half or whole) of peanuts, and allow it to slightly fizz for a few seconds. Then, take a sip of this duo to enjoy a sweet and savory experience. Bottoms up!