Food-light-writers

PB & ...anything!

Yes – believe it! The same genius people who brought us chocolate, also brought us this ground-breaking ingredient: Peanut Butter.

The Aztecs were the first to roast and crush this nut, releasing its beautiful oils and pungent aromas. Since then, it has spread over the world – much like you would spread it over your sandwich: smoothly. It is known in every country, used for a variety of dishes, from Asian Satay Sauce to American Resse’s Peanut Butter Cups and everything in between.

Whether you call it ‘monkey butter’, ‘pindakaas’ as they say in the Netherlands, or ‘Katjiebotter’ as I do – I personally think it’s on the Top 10 list of Best Culinary Creations EVER.

 It should win an award for making my toes curl with happiness, even whilst my tongue is working hard to scrape this ultra creamy, sticky-smooth substance off the roof of my palette. A lot of people find this sensation unpleasant, but to me – it is something that rewards my patience once I taste the sweet nuttiness....

the taste of Earth itself.

 Aside from that, it is jam-packed with protein, monounsaturated fats (which can actually lower your cholesterol levels) and the antioxidant Resveratrol – also found in grapes, or red wine.

Apparently, Hemingway ate his peanut butter sandwich with thick slices of onion. Elvis preferred slices of banana and crispy bacon. Talk of eating it with mayonnaise, Marmite, pickles or even olives have reached my ears – me? I love the traditional PB & J: with some tart homemade apricot jam – my mouth puckering at first with the slight sourness of the apricot skins, then the pleasant sweetness of it all....and then Mr. Peanut strides in with his suave and dominating presence.

 

Whether you eat it on a slice of toast, on a celery stick, with an apple or with a spoon out of the jar – you cannot deny, what would the world be without it?

 

Imagine peanut butter, swirled with cream cheese, swirled with Nutella.

Did you just have a foodgasm?

I know I did...

 

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