People are putting peanuts in their Coca Cola – so, we tried it

You might have noticed a new trend appears to be afoot over on TikTok.

People have been putting salted peanuts in their Coca Cola bottles to transform the taste – and whilst it might seem like a genius new invention, it’s actually a tradition that dates back to the 1920s.

The story goes that in South America, farmers and labourers who didn’t have easy access to taps on their breaks would put peanuts into their Coke bottles to keep them clean, and avoid having to touch them.

John T. Edge, Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the Center for Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, told food historian and author Rick McDaniel that the concept was also handy as it allowed workers to keep a free hand whilst working.

Coca Cola and peanuts are age-old combo (Credit: Alamy)

The trend subsequently started sweeping the States, and peanuts and Coke went from being something practical to a much-loved flavour combination.

But is it any good? Well, social media users definitely still seem enthused about the idea today.

Over on TikTok, one user responded to a trending video on the combination, and said: “Aint nothin’ better than a glass of coke and peanuts!”

Whilst another wrote: “Peanuts in Coke is a classic”.

“My grandma taught us this growing up,” a third chimed in. “So good”.

@mschanggifted

Coke & Peanuts #coke #mschanggifted #southerngirl

♬ Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi

In the interest of investigative journalism, we wanted to try it for ourselves.

To attempt the peanut and coke mashup, you’ll need a bottle of real coke (not diet – the sugar matters).

Then, tip in about half a bag of salted peanuts into your Coke and away you go.

Having given it a go at Twisted HQ, we can certainly see why peanuts in Coca Cola is a thing. After all, sweet and salty are an age-old pairing. It’s tried and tested. We know that it works – and sure enough, it does.

We tried Coca Cola and peanuts for ourselves (Credit: Twisted)

The peanuts make the mouthful of Coca Cola taste more savoury, and the sweet and saltiness offset each other nicely.

Another fun aspect of this drink is the occasional peanut that falls into your mouth when you take a swig, and the drink is slightly less fizzy because of the salt.

Overall, we’d certainly try peanuts and Coke again. It’s a much-loved tradition for a reason.

So, go on. Pop down to your local shop and give it a try.