LEVEL 1 — PLATE AND KNIFE

PB&J

(Peanut Butter & Jelly)

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches — more commonly known as PB&Js — are a sandwich staple around the country. Chances are good that you’ve eaten at least a few in your lifetime. And while a PB&J might sound basic, it’s anything but. The sweet jelly combined with the sticky, savory peanut butter make this classic sandwich practically irresistible.

THE HISTORY OF THE PB&J

PB&J sandwiches may be a lunchbox staple in schools across the country, but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, peanut butter used to be considered a delicacy. In the early 1900s it was served at upscale parties and fancy tearooms in New York. (Think peanut-butter-and-pimento and peanut-butter-with-watercress sandwiches.)

It wasn’t until 1920 that the price of peanut butter dropped, and it became available to the masses, in part because sugar was added to the mix. Then, in the late 1920s, Gustav Papendick invented a process for slicing and wrapping bread, which meant kids (just like you!) could finally make their own sandwiches. Suddenly peanut butter sandwiches became a household staple.

Here’s a brief breakdown of the life of a PB&J:

1. 1884 — Marcellus Gilmore Edson, a Canadian, invents and patents peanut paste, made by milling roasted peanuts between two heated surfaces.
2. 1893 — Peanut butter starts to gain popularity at the Chicago World’s Fair.
3. 1895 — Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patents a process for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. He markets it as a healthy protein substitute for patients without teeth.
4. 1901 — The first official reference to a peanut butter & jelly sandwich in the U.S. appears in The Boston Cooking-School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics, thanks to Julia Davis Chandler.
5. 1903 — Dr. Ambrose Straub of St. Louis, Missouri, patents a peanut-butter-making machine.
6. 1920s — Sliced bread is invented! This invention takes sandwiches to the next level. Now kids can make sandwiches on their own.
7. 1920s–1930s — Commercial peanut butter brands, including Peter Pan and Skippy, are introduced.
8. 1930s — Peanut butter sandwiches become popular during the Great Depression, when many people needed a hearty, filling meal on the cheap. Peanut butter, which is packed with protein, became a more affordable substitute for meat.
9. 1940s — Both peanut butter and jelly were part of U.S. soldiers’ military rations; it’s said that soldiers added jelly to their peanut butter sandwiches to make it more palatable. When those soldiers returned home, they helped the PB&J grow in popularity.

SANDWICH FACTS

• Grape & strawberry are the most popular jams & jellies based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
• April 2nd is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day.
• 60% of Americans surveyed prefer creamy peanut butter over crunchy.
• Peanut butter is a great source of protein — just 2 tablespoons contains 8 grams of protein!

BETWEEN THE BREAD

PRO TIP

Keeping your sandwich from getting soggy is all about the technique — spread both pieces of bread with peanut butter and then add the jelly to the middle.

WE DARE YOU!

Peanut butter is great on its own, but a sandwich savant like you is probably ready to take it to the next level. Think you can handle the weird, the gross, the amazing, and everything in between? Here are just a few out-there options to experiment with… if you dare!