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Alert: Monday Is National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 30, 2012

Modified Mar 30, 2012

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Jen Carlson

Published Mar 30, 2012

Modified Mar 30, 2012

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Peanut Butter & Co.'s "Elvis" sandwich (via Yelp)

Monday is National Peanut Butter Day, and we're going to celebrate the fluffernutter out of it. To do that, we must be prepared. Let's do this, New York.

PB&J 101
Food historians believe the sandwich was created during World War II, as there's no mention of it prior to 1940s. Apparently GI's were given rations of both peanut butter and jelly, and ended up mixing them together for a fresh new treat. When they returned to the State, sales of peanut butter and jelly skyrocketed. Shockingly, it took over two decades for someone to think of combining the two in a single product. Naturally, that someone was the J.M. Smucker Co., who in 1968 released Goober, a jar containing both PB and J.

IN NEW YORK CITY
In 1941 it was already appearing on menus—like the LaGuardia Airport Coffee Shop, where it sold for just 15 cents (over at the Beverly Hills Hotel it was a whopping 35 cents.) Check out the menu at the NYPL.

ADDITIONS
If you aren't a purist, there are options to advance your PB&J beyond the core ingredients. Some people add honey, Nutella, bananas, marshmallow fluff, potato chips, and even maple syrup. While some prefer raisins (disgusting), or bacon (duh).

The PB&J at Dun-well Doughnuts

WHERE TO EAT THEM TODAY
Now that you know mostly everything there is to know about the sweet and savory sandwich, here's where you can indulge around NYC...

Per the sandwich tour we created for actor Jason Segel, you can hit up 'wichcraft for a chunky PB&J with Greenmarket preserves for just $4.95, served up triple-decker style on pullman white bread.
OBVS, there is Peanut Butter & Co.'s sandwich shop, where they've really taken the sandwich to the next level.
The Doughnut Plant (Manhattan) and Dun-well Doughnuts (Brooklyn) often have Peanut Butter & Jelly doughnuts... and the latter are vegan-friendly.
And of course, ChipShop in Park Slope would be more than happy to fry up a PB&J for you... and maybe they'll even put it on stick.

Now, can someone please make a ramp jelly so we can properly celebrate this holiday?

Tagged

national pbj day

pb&j

peanut butter and jelly

sandwich

Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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