Georgia’s most popular snacks for every occasion. See how many you keep in your pantry
Okay, Georgians, time to come clean about the state’s (un)official pastime: snacking. In the South, food is a major factor in almost every significant occasion, and in truth, on occasions that aren’t really all that significant as well.
Based on some snack-related research, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer has uncovered some of the state’s favorite foods, across several categories.
Mindless snacking
According to a study conducted by HubScore, Georgia’s favorite chips are Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, Goldfish and (of course) Lays. Doritos is the top favorite for Alabama and Florida, as well.
Doritos was a major victor in the analysis, showing up as the top choice in 16 states. Most of these are in the Southeast with the exception of Rhode Island. Who knew Georgia and Rhode Island would be snack-mates?
A close second to Doritos are Rice Krispies, which appeared in 18 states’ top five choices. They were a coast-to-coast fave, ranking in the favorites from Alaska to Oregon to Maine to New Hampshire.
Comfort Food
In a surprise to no one, peach cobbler is among the most popular comfort foods in Georgia. With recipes that look different from family to family, what else would folks want from the Peach State to soothe what ails them?
Only in Your State’s website ranks it as one of the state’s most iconic dishes. You probably don’t need to be reminded, but don’t forget the vanilla ice cream on the side.
Some other snacks made a strong showing, including fried chicken, pecan pie and cornbread. Dishes like oxtails, chitterlings, liver or Frito pie may not be everyone’s tastes, but they also made quite a few lists.
For holidays
One of the many, and one of the most treasured, Southern traditions, is to mark a moment with food and a casserole is a universal crowd-pleaser. The research suggests that Georgians are creatures of habit and these are the recipes you’ll most likely see at the holidays:
Thanksgiving - broccoli casserole
Christmas - green bean casserole
New Year’s Day - collards and black-eyed peas
Easter - deviled eggs
4th of July - boiled peanuts
Mother’s Day brunch - chicken and waffles
Sodas
Because, duh… Georgians prefer the classic, Coca-Cola. The lore surrounding Coke’s origins is a point of pride, especially for Columbusites, so it makes sense it would top the list.
Georgians also like to enjoy their Nehis. Although, it wasn’t specified that it was peach-flavored (but why wouldn’t it be?).
Other iconic items
If your favorite didn’t appear on any of those lists, don’t worry. Georgia is known for many, many other iconic dishes:
Brunswick stew
Fried green tomatoes
Biscuits and gravy
Pimento cheese
We couldn’t really find much of a consensus about the favorite snacks in a few categories:
- To bring to a grieving family
- To eat at the movies
- After a break-up
- Eating on vacation
Email me or find me on Instagram to vote for the best snack in these categories.
