Peanutter

'Peanutter' is the word I used to use until my early teens when talking about Peanut butter. Apparently, two words was simply too much to bother with, but I am happy to say that I have grown out of that habit; however, I have not grown out of loving the sweet, nutty paste that is the source of so much joy and wonder around the world.

Peanut butter is possibly my favourite thing in the world, right up there with chocolate, the space shuttles and old maps.

As the name suggests, it is a buttery paste made from crushed peanuts, the origins of which date back to the Aztec Native Americans centuries ago. It wasn't until the late 1800's that modern processing methods and the addition of vegetable oil made it a smooth, spreadable foodstuff, and several patents from that period exist for different methods of peanut butter production.

Today, peanut butter is popular in North America, the UK, the Netherlands and parts of Asia, with the world's biggest exporters being the U.S.A. and China. It is available in two forms: Smooth and Crunchy. I find myself quite firmly planted in the 'Smooth' camp - Crunchy is yummy enough, but the bits get stuck in my teeth and it's just slightly more annoying to deal with in general.

The U.S. actually has a law about Peanut butter that determines exactly what it is and what may or may not be put into it. Read it here (if you like that kind of thing).

I actually eat the stuff pretty much everyday, on toast or in a sandwich, and I never, ever get bored of it. My favourite brand of Peanut butter is definitely Skippy, but that stuff is hard to find over here (luckily, because it is really quite bad for you...)

When I was a kid, seeing this tub in the shopping bag was like Christmas had come early

The healthiness of Peanut Butter depends entirely upon the type of oil used in the manufacturing process; avoid those that make use of hydrogenated vegetable oils, that are rich in trans fatty acids. Naturally, peanuts contain protein, vitamins B3 and E, magnesium, folate, dietary fiber, arginine, and high levels of the antioxidant p-coumaric acid, and this good stuff is passed on in peanut butter, making it really quite a useful addition to the diet.

The peanut plant is susceptible to the mold Aspergillus flavus which produces a nasty carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin. Since it is impossible to completely remove every instance of aflatoxins, contamination of peanuts and peanut butter is monitored in many countries to ensure the levels of this carcinogen remain safe for human consumption.

January 24th is National Peanut Butter Day in the United States, and I think the entire world should have a holiday to celebrate this fabulous stuff, where we can bathe in it, throw it at each other in the streets and where we are forced to spread it over everything we eat. Peanut butter and chicken salad, anyone?