Editor's column: Discovering a North Carolina delicacy

By Mike Bollinger

I recently tried a North Carolina delicacy that, even though I had lived in the state previously, I had never sampled before.

While enjoying a meal at Cracker Barrel with friends recently, I was looking to use up some gift cards I received at my retirement party and decided to buy a bottle of Cheerwine.

I had been told several times I should try it, and I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t drink a lot of cherry flavored soda, but Cheerwine is by far the best I have ever had.

Being the intrepid, even though semi-retired, journalist, I decided to do a little research. I’m sure a lot of you know this information, but I found the story a little fascinating and decided to share.

According to www. cheerwine.com, the company was formed in 1917 in Salisbury by L.D. Peeler. Wanting to start his own soft drink, he found a wild cherry flavor that mixed well with other flavors.

The company survived the Great Depression, and in fact managed to remain profitable. In the 1950s, the first Cheerwine vending machine was built, selling the drinks for 5 cents each. In the 1960s, the first can of Cheerwine was produced. Also in the '60s, the first TV commercial for the drink hit the airwaves.

Diet Cheerwine was launched in the 1970s. The company celebrated 75 years of success in 1992, and commemorative bottles were made. Those bottles remain collectibles today. In 2017, a centennial celebration was held in downtown Salisbury. That celebration marked the start of the Cheerwine Festival, which has become an annual event.

Two presidents, Dwight Eisenhower and George W. Bush, are known to have tried Cheerwine. I’m sure I will have more Cheerwine in the future, but it will never replace my go-to soft drink, Sun Drop.

Sun Drop is also a Southern thing, most popular in North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. When I lived in the mountains of Virginia, where Sun Drop is not available, when I would visit in an area where I could buy it I would load up the trunk of my car with it and take enough home to last until my next visit.

However, there is another Southern food that I have only had once, and that one time was too many. That would be boiled peanuts. A brief history of boiled peanuts (apparently I’m in research mode as I write this) shows they were first made by slaves brought to the South from West Africa, according to www.seriouseats.com.

They apparently originated in South Carolina. Once introduced, they quickly became popular in the region. Why, I’m not exactly sure. They are slimy and not at all tasty. In fact, they are one of the five worst things I have ever tasted.

Not many people seem to share my opinion. Most of the people I have talked to about it say they love the things. They are welcome to my share.

What do you think? Share your opinions with me on these or any other Southern delicacies you particularly like at mike@johnstonnow.com, and if I get enough responses I’ll share them in a future column.