The Only Butter in Peanut Butter is the Word “Butter”

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At one place where I worked the conversation turned to food. I said to a coworker, “I like butter and peanut butter on my toast.” “Yuck.” My coworker screwed up her face. “Who would want to eat butter with peanut butter when peanut butter already has butter in it?” I didn’t want to start an argument and since we didn’t have a jar of peanut butter to look at the ingredients, I shrugged my shoulders and walk away. The ingredients in the peanut butter I bought from Costco says: Dry roasted organic peanuts and sea salt. No butter at all. I do know some brands add sugar and/or seed oil. In my research I discover peanut butter has been around since the Aztecs and Incas, however it wasn’t patented until 1884. Marcellus Gilmore Edson, a Canadian from Montreal, Quebec, was the first to patented it. He said about his product that it had "a consistency like that of butter, lard, or ointment." So naturally if it had the consistency of butter why not call it peanut butter? Would we eat it if it were called peanut lard or peanut ointment? Edson did not use butter in his original ingredients but he did use sugar just to help the peanut butter hold its consistency. In the United States, January 24, is National Peanut Butter Day. So get your peanut butter bought and ready to eat. There you have it. The only butter in peanut butter is the word “butter.”