Peanuts in Coke: The Southern Tradition You Should Try

I was still a kid the first time I saw peanuts placed into a bottle of Coke. At that time, it didn’t matter much to me. I was still a kid, and it felt like another adventure that kids came up with.

As weird as this combo sounds, it is a snack that kids and adults enjoy eating. I just learned about the combination of peanuts in Coke recently, and it would surprise you to know that it is a tradition common to southerners.

Where did peanuts in coke originate from?

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The history behind putting peanuts in Coke is interesting. And no one can verify when and how this food trend started, but stories have it that this combination began in the 1920s. 

Coca-cola was a trendy drink at the time. It was the go-to drink for farm workers, alongside salted peanuts as a snack. Now the nature of the job left their hands dirty most of the time, so during lunch breaks, they had little or no time to wash their hands. 

So the only way to eat the peanut and Coca Cola without having their dirty hands mess up the snack was by pouring the peanut into the coke before eating it. 

Furthermore, people said the pair made it easy for workers to eat and work at the same time. To enjoy a bottle of Coke filled with peanuts, you need just one hand, leaving the other free to work with.

No definite theory explains how the combination of pouring peanuts into a bottle of Coca Cola came into existence. And although it may not be as popular as it once was, this is a southern tradition that lives on. 

Why do people put peanuts in coke?

Putting peanuts in coke still sounds strange to many individuals, especially non-southerners. However, If you have never tried the combo, it is not as weird as you might think.

It will interest you that peanuts remain crunchy even after pouring into a cold glass of Coca Cola. Most people like myself never knew peanuts in coke were a thing.

We just ate them because it was given to us back then as kids. Some other people had to try the seemingly odd pair out of curiosity. And you get an exclusive treat, one you can liken to a working man’s strawberries in champagne.

Putting peanuts in Coke was invented for convenience and not for taste. But this has kept people from wondering what these unlikely pairs of snacks and drinks taste like. Some still think the combination could be better, even without trying it out.

What do peanuts in Coke taste like?

From personal experience, the resulting flavor from the mixture is nice (sweet and salty). The salty taste is obtained from peanuts, and the sweet taste from Coke, but you can’t know what the pair tastes like if you don’t try it yourself.  

The sweet and salty taste might not be as strong as what you will taste from eating snacks like granola bars or salted-caramel almond pints of ice cream, but the taste is there.

Research has it that there’s a good reason why salty and sweet snacks taste good together. Jessica Swift, a registered dietician, explained that the receptors responsible for transporting sugar to cells could only do so if sodium is present. 

You should know that diet coke is different from Coca Cola, so if you want to know what peanuts in Coke taste like, do not try it with Diet Coke. If Coca Cola is unavailable at the time, do not substitute it for diet coke or any sodas. The pair of peanuts and Diet Coke is nothing compared to that of peanuts and Coca Cola. 

Peanuts in Coke: Does it Have to be in a Glass Bottle?

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Traditionally, the best way to enjoy this southern delight is to pour the peanuts into a cold glass bottle of Coca-Cola. Just open the bottle, reduce the quantity of the Coke, grab a pack of peanuts, tear it open, and empty it in. What you get is a fizzy sip accompanied by a satisfying crunch.

And if a friend would like to have a taste, you can get a glass cup, throw in some ice cubes, pour some of the Coca-Cola into it, and then add your peanuts. Although there’s this feeling that comes with drinking directly from the glass bottle, sharing wouldn’t be so bad.

Final Thoughts

A lot of people find the idea of pouring peanuts into a Coke bottle before eating it weird. The thought of the mixture disgusts them. However, the combo isn’t as bizarre as people make it look. I mean, you can’t tell if you don’t try.