# Who invented honey-roasted peanuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [March 5, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622 "2011-03-05T22:34:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/1 "2011-03-05T22:34:06Z")
Google and Wiki have failed me. I first remember having them on a USAir flight in the mid-1980s, and there was a gag about them on _The Golden Girls_ right about then. It wasn’t long after that that you could buy them in stores, and now they’re pretty widely available. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/2 "2011-03-05T22:35:03Z")
William T. Honeyroast. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/3 "2011-03-05T23:05:43Z")
A patent was issues in 1989 to these men: Inventors Holloway, Jr., Oris E. Wilkins, Howard Gannis, Peter M. Assignee Nabisco Brands, Inc. I suspect however that it wasn’t the actual inventors. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/4 "2011-03-05T23:21:37Z")
This link says it was a food scientist named Bill Hoover at NCSU who got a patent on them in 1987. [http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/02/21/1003843/food-scientists-legacy-is-in-your.html#ixzz1Eb48fwVe](http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/02/21/1003843/food-scientists-legacy-is-in-your.html#ixzz1Eb48fwVe) I did a quick check and it found this patent: [http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=Pa82AAAAEBAJ&dq=Maurice+W.+Hoover&num=10](http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=Pa82AAAAEBAJ&dq=Maurice+W.+Hoover&num=10) However further searching revealed an earlier patent by Hoover in 1978 which is referenced by some Nabisco patents. [http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=id59AAAAEBAJ&dq=honey+roasted+peanuts&num=10](http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=id59AAAAEBAJ&dq=honey+roasted+peanuts&num=10) I think this patent is what makes Hoover the father of honey roasted nuts, but there may be different techniques for honey roasting. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/5 "2011-03-06T02:09:49Z")
Planters probably. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/6 "2011-03-06T05:33:10Z")
Hmmm. I know I had them before 1987… ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/7 "2011-03-06T09:22:50Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Hmmm. I know I had them before 1987… Well the earliest patent for honey roasting is from 1978 and I suspect honey roasting existed as a kitchen recipe before that. A lot of the roasting patents are probably process improvements to produce a better or cheaper product or attempts to circumvent earlier patents. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/8 "2011-03-06T14:58:43Z")
Great work, **JoelUpchurch**. I find the first ads in newspapers for them from 1978, which would fit with **Joel’s** dates. They were the _Fisher_ brand, by Beatrice. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/9 "2011-03-06T15:01:31Z")
Mr. Peanut? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/10 "2011-03-06T22:16:35Z")
Thanks, **JoelUpchurch** and **samclem**. Good to know. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/11 "2011-03-06T22:24:51Z")
Wow, I wouldn’t have even thought to look for an inventor. I learned something today! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/12 "2011-03-07T01:12:24Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Mr. Peanut? Ha! ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/13 "2011-03-07T01:59:30Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > Wow, I wouldn’t have even thought to look for an inventor. I learned something today! 🙂 You should watch some of the Modern Marvels episodes on food tech. There are engineers who have devoted their lives to coming up with new ways of making potato chips. [http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/videos/playlists/food#eat-and-run](http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/videos/playlists/food#eat-and-run) ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/14 "2011-03-07T02:03:25Z")
Would it be yummy to make peanut butter from honey roasted peanuts? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/15 "2011-03-07T02:09:10Z")
The inventor actually just died a week or so ago. His obit was in the Chicago Tribune, although I’m having trouble finding it on Google. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/16 "2011-03-07T02:38:33Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > The inventor actually just died a week or so ago. His obit was in the Chicago Tribune, although I’m having trouble finding it on Google. Please post it if you can find it. What an odd, yet interesting, topic. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/17 "2011-03-07T03:59:25Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Would it be yummy to make peanut butter from honey roasted peanuts? Very much so; I’ve done it in my Vita-Mix. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/18 "2011-03-07T13:09:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Please post it if you can find it. What an odd, yet interesting, topic. > **[LTHForum.com - Interesting obituaries](https://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=18&p=365354)** > > Chicago culinary chat. Home of the Great Neighborhood Restaurant (GNR) award. [http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/28/2687435/food-scientists-legacy-is-in-your.html](http://www.kansascity.com/2011/02/28/2687435/food-scientists-legacy-is-in-your.html) The first link says he died on February 8. Why I wasn’t informed sooner is a real failure in the system. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/19 "2011-03-07T13:37:35Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Very much so; I’ve done it in my Vita-Mix. {insert picture of Homer Simpson in food coma} thanx! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622/20 "2011-03-07T14:02:37Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > {insert picture of Homer Simpson in food coma} > > thanx! Try smearing it on apple slices. Heaven! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-honey-roasted-peanuts/573622.md?page=2)