South Carolina has an official state snack. If you want the best versions of it, try these 5 spots

Sarah Claire McDonald
·2 min read
23

South Carolina has an official state snack. Can you guess what it might be?

It may not come as a surprise to many as the popular snack is sold abundantly throughout the state and you can even find it canned at the grocery store.

The Palmetto State’s official state snack is the popular Southern staple, boiled peanuts.

Boiled peanuts have been a staple snack in the South for generations. Shannon Greene/CharlotteFive
Boiled peanuts have been a staple snack in the South for generations. Shannon Greene/CharlotteFive

If you’ve never had a boiled peanut before, they can be quite different from their usual crunchy counterpart.

Boiled peanuts are made with freshly harvested, raw peanuts, also known as “green” peanuts, that are in their semi-mature state and not quite fully dried yet that are then soaked and boiled in their shells in salty water for many hours. During this time the peanuts’ shell turns soft, according to What’s Cooking America.

Jared Jester, one of the founders of the Bluffton Boiled Peanut Festival and the president of The Heritage Peanut Company, shows how to properly open a boiled peanut. He compared the texture of the nuts to “mini baked potatoes.” Kacen Bayless/kbayless@islandpacket.com
Jared Jester, one of the founders of the Bluffton Boiled Peanut Festival and the president of The Heritage Peanut Company, shows how to properly open a boiled peanut. He compared the texture of the nuts to “mini baked potatoes.” Kacen Bayless/kbayless@islandpacket.com

They can be found in shops along the highway or off of interstate exits, at festivals, at produce stands, in specialty stores and even in grocery stores sold fresh or even canned.

Although many claim they taste best from a produce stand aside the highway. These soft, salty snacks can be easy enough to make at home with any recipe from your neighbor, family member or any of the numerous adaptations found online.

The boiled peanut was designated as the official State Snack of the Palmetto State by Act Number 270 of 2006. South Carolina residents began boiling peanuts in the 1800’s to make use of any surplus after the peanut crops were harvested and sold, according to the South Carolina State House.

This salty snack is so popular in the Palmetto State, it even has its own festivals dedicated to the boiled peanut throughout South Carolina.

Although many individuals rave about Timbo’s Boiled Peanuts in Charleston, popular experiential travel guide, TasteAtlas, listed “The best South Carolina Boiled Peanuts in the world.”

The “best South Carolina peanuts,” according to the website, can be found at,

  1. Husk: 76 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401

  2. Wreck of the Richard & Charlene: 106 Haddrell Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

  3. Hyman’s Seafood: 215 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401

  4. The Glass Onion: 1219 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407

  5. The Peanut Dude: 695 Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464