Fried chicken and pecan pie are two iconic dishes in Southern cuisine. Surprisingly, one surviving tradition sticks out: mixing peanuts into Coke. Rick McDaniel, a historian, dates this tradition back to the 1920s. Shelled peanuts were offered alongside bottled Coke in country stores, encouraging workers to combine them for practical purposes. According to McDaniel, “Many workers… started dumping peanuts in the Coke to avoid touching each one with dirty hands.”
Another idea relates it to road trips. With manual shift driving becoming common, putting peanuts in a Coke bottle gave a hands-free solution for employees. For an authentic experience, choose ordinary Coke and salted peanuts. Coke fans say that glass bottles enhance the flavor. Despite appearing unusual, this Southern meal custom has persisted for generations, delivering a
