Peanut butter

[Betelnut]

Is peanut butter a big deal in other countries other than the US?  Here peanut butter is a very common ingredient, not only in sweets, but in sandwiches.  The standard is the PBJ sandwich (peanut butter and jelly) which is so common most people would know what you are talking about if you simply say, "PBJ".

I love peanut butter (peanut butter and honey or peanut butter and butter sandwiches--YUM!) but I remember hearing a French teacher say that she couldn't abide it and that it "looked like baby sh@t" to her.

Common elsewhere or not?

[camlan]

My SIL is Turkish. They don't have peanut butter in Turkey. When SIL first came to the US, my brother was having her try all sorts of American food. Her favorite? Peanut butter.

Whenever they are stationed somewhere where they can't get PB, I have to ship them some on a regular basis. And SIL has gotten her whole family hooked on the stuff, so every year I send the family a holiday package with a couple of jars.

Honestly, I thought SIL would not like PB. It's an odd texture if you are not used to it. But she fooled me!

[tjika]

We have peanut butter here in the netherlands, but it is very different from the common version in the US.

I love the american version and regularly stock up on skippy which they sell in some shops here. Also reese's peanut butter cups. Always buy a big bag when I see them. (which is not often enough)
My father on the other hand really dislikes the american version and used to take several jars of calve (dutch brand) with him when they lived abroad.

[alice]

tjika-how are the two types different?

[faithlessone]

Peanut butter is very popular in the UK.

I personally absolutely love PBJ sandwiches (and you've got me craving them right now), but I don't know very many other British people who like them.

[tjika]

tjika-how are the two types different?

dutch peanut butter is much less sweet and slightly coarser. Its more like the peanut you would find in health food stores in the US.

[Horace]

Peanut butter is very popular in the UK.

I personally absolutely love PBJ sandwiches (and you've got me craving them right now), but I don't know very many other British people who like them.

I love them and I'm in the UK too I am also in love with peanut butter cups and wish we could buy the mini versions over here for a decent price so I could use them in baking.

Does America have crunchy peanut butter or just smooth? In the UK we have both types - I prefer crunchy but the rest of my friends prefer smooth.

[Betelnut]

Peanut butter is very popular in the UK.

I personally absolutely love PBJ sandwiches (and you've got me craving them right now), but I don't know very many other British people who like them.

I love them and I'm in the UK too I am also in love with peanut butter cups and wish we could buy the mini versions over here for a decent price so I could use them in baking.

Does America have crunchy peanut butter or just smooth? In the UK we have both types - I prefer crunchy but the rest of my friends prefer smooth.

We (US) have both crunchy and smooth.  I love crunchy but started out with smooth for my daughter and I have developed a taste for it.

Peanut butter cups.  Yum yum.  I can and have eaten whole bags of the things.

Any other e-hellions from Europe/Asia/Down Under out there?  I'd like to hear if the French opinion is a personal one or how all French people feel!

[General Jinjur]

Peanut butter is very popular in the UK.

I personally absolutely love PBJ sandwiches (and you've got me craving them right now), but I don't know very many other British people who like them.

What do you put on your PB sandwiches, if not J? I like to put a nice thick sweet-tart jam, like raspberry, or else banana and honey...mmm, peanut butter.

DH and I often have separate jars of PB, since he likes crunchy and I can't abide the stuff. The texture oogs me out.

[HorseFreak]

PBJ is gross to this American; Fluffernutters are where it's at! Has to be smooth, no chunks!

(For those not familiar, you unfortunate souls, Fluffernutters are sandwiches made with peanut butter and a thick marshmallow spread called Fluff. It's amazing.)

[Elfmama]

I thought I was the only one who dislikes PBJ.  Peanut butter, yes!  Jelly/jam, yes!  But both on the same sandwich? 

Had a run-in with my MIL over it.  I'd spread one slice of bread with PB, and another with strawberry jam, then folded them over on themselves to make half a sandwich each.  For some reason a PBJ would have been fine with her, but not what I did, even though it used less PB and J than a whole sandwich.    Didn't ask her to make it, didn't ask her to eat it.

[Betelnut]

(US here).  I'm not a fan of PBJ either.  Oh, I'd eat one in a pinch but I prefer, in this order, peanut butter and honey and then peanut butter and butter.  A lot of people find peanut butter and butter together to be gross and, I admit, it is very rich, but oh so good!

[gorplady]

I love peanut butter. I prefer smooth but will eat chunky if I accidentally grab the wrong kind.

I love peanut butter and honey; peanut butter and all types of jelly/jams; peanut butter and nutella; peanut butter and bacon; peanut butter and bananas....

One of my easiest and most requested appetizers is a simple crudite tray with celery, carrots, apple slices, mini-chocolate bars and peanut butter as a dip.

Personal brand favorite: Peter Pan
Family brand favorite: Skippy

I also like the all-natural peanut butter made at a local restaurant here: http://www.duluthgrill.com/

[Shea]

Peanut butter is very popular in the UK.

I personally absolutely love PBJ sandwiches (and you've got me craving them right now), but I don't know very many other British people who like them.

I love them and I'm in the UK too I am also in love with peanut butter cups and wish we could buy the mini versions over here for a decent price so I could use them in baking.

Does America have crunchy peanut butter or just smooth? In the UK we have both types - I prefer crunchy but the rest of my friends prefer smooth.

We (US) have both crunchy and smooth.  I love crunchy but started out with smooth for my daughter and I have developed a taste for it.

Peanut butter cups.  Yum yum.  I can and have eaten whole bags of the things.

Any other e-hellions from Europe/Asia/Down Under out there?  I'd like to hear if the French opinion is a personal one or how all French people feel!

I'm not French, but I did live in France for awhile. In my experience, most French people aren't fond of peanut butter. It's hard to find (at least it was where I lived); the only place I ever saw it was health-food stores. I also got the impression that while peanut butter itself might be okay, if not nearly as desirable as Nutella, the North American habit of pairing it was jam was considered disgusting.

I love PBJ (with raspberry or blackberry jam, ideally), but I've never had a Fluffernutter and frankly I think I'll keep it that way!

[Maujer]

PBJ is gross to this American; Fluffernutters are where it's at! Has to be smooth, no chunks!

(For those not familiar, you unfortunate souls, Fluffernutters are sandwiches made with peanut butter and a thick marshmallow spread called Fluff. It's amazing.)

Yes! Invented in Somerville, MA! My husband is from CT and completely opposed to fluff. I say this is why I'm kicking his state out of New England.

Regarding chunky or smooth, I prefer smooth but that's partially because I like to mix my PB with flax seeds. Yum.