Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich, also known as a peanut butter and jam sandwich (Australian usage) (PBJ or PB&J or P&J), is a common sandwich in the United States, Canada and Australia.
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[edit] Recipe
The recipe is as simple as the name, but subject to many subtle variations. The basic form consists of two slices of bread; One of which is spread with peanut butter (either smooth or crunchy), while the other is spread with jelly, jam, or preserves with grape, strawberry, and apple being the most common flavors. The two slices are then combined to form the PB&J sandwich. When prepared for children the sandwich is usually sliced into 2 or 4 equally sized triangles or squares to accommodate their smaller hands.
The sandwich may also be constructed by applying peanut butter to both slices of bread; however, this is less common and results in a sandwich which is difficult to consume without a beverage. A PB&J constructed in this manner often results in a bolus of bread and peanut butter stuck to the roof of the consumer's mouth. This situation can often induce a gag reflex and therefore is not suitable for small children or people with a strong gag reflex.
The simplicity of preparation, storage, and eating makes the sandwich a popular meal. This sandwich is a popular fixture in paper sack lunches for grade-school children and shares similar status to that of the bologna sandwich in American culture.
[edit] Variations
Other nut butters, such as almond, cashew, soybean, sunflower or hazelnut/nutella are sometimes used to make sandwiches similar to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The chief variant, however, is the plain peanut butter sandwich. Other known variants include the addition of one or more of the following ingredients: honey, raisins, bananas, marshmallows, other dried fruit, or another slice of bread. A combination of peanut butter and nutella (cocoa flavored hazelnut butter) is also popular.
[edit] History of the sandwich
Forms of peanut butter were widely introduced in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, although it had been sold as a medical nutritional supplement in St. Louis, Missouri for about 15 years. The modern, non-separating version was invented in 1922 by Joseph L. Rosefield, and became a popular lunch for schoolchildren. Both peanut butter and jelly were packed with United States Army K-rations in World War II. The combination proved so popular that returning GIs made peanut butter and jelly a standard American food.[citation needed]
Some schools prohibit foods containing peanut products due to the rising incidence of severe peanut allergies among children.
[edit] Shelf-life
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are known for having a longer shelf life than meat and cheese-based sandwiches. The esthetic shelf life of the sandwich can be increased by spreading the peanut butter thinly on both slices of bread and then spreading the jelly over the peanut butter on one slice. This makes the sandwich less prone to becoming soggy.
[edit] Military experiments
Peanut butter and jelly has been available in the military instant food Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) for several years, added in response to the popular demand from soldiers who missed their PB&J while on deployment. The sandwich can survive in the field for up to three years[citation needed]. A challenge in creating this longevity was finding a way of preventing the bread from spoiling.
These sandwiches take a form similar to the "sealed" sandwiches mentioned in the section below. The peanut butter and jelly are baked inside a dough covering, completely contained within.
[edit] Sealed crustless sandwich
In December 1999, two independent inventors, Len Kretchman and David Geske, were granted a U.S. patent, U.S. Patent 6004596, "Sealed Crustless Sandwich" for an improved peanut butter sandwich that would have a long shelf life. The J.M. Smucker Co. bought the patent from the inventors and developed a commercial product based on the patent called Uncrustables. Smuckers then made a US$17 million dollar investment in a new factory to produce the product. By 2005, grew to $60 million a year with a 20% per year growth rate.
Smuckers attempted to enforce their patent rights by sending out cease and desist letters to competitors, and by expanding their intellectual property coverage via the patenting of a machine to produce Uncrustables sandwiches in high volume U.S. Patent 6874409 "Method and apparatus for making commercial crustless sandwiches and the crustless sandwich made thereby". The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, however, rejected the viability of the patent citing its similarity to existing processes such as that of fashioning ravioli or a pie crust.[1]
The original '596 patent is also undergoing a reexamination at the United Stated Patent and Trademark Office. As of January 2007, it appears as if all of the claims of the patent will be canceled. The patent will still technically exist, but won't cover anything.
[edit] Popular Culture
The frequent use of this food in the United States, especially in children's lunches, has led to many references to the treat in the pop culture. One famous example is the trademark incantation uttered by the Sesame Street character known as The Amazing Mumford, who recites the magic words "A la peanut butter sandwiches!" when performing his stage tricks.
The sandwich was featured on the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like.
Many people will recognize Peanut Butter Jelly Time, an online viral video featuring a dancing banana singing about peanut butter jelly sandwiches.
[edit] Becoming Famous
In about 2003 Peanut Butter Jelly Time was an internet phenomenon. The banana was seen world-wide on computers and was heavily pixelated. It now is a well known emoticon.
