{"id":2207,"date":"2026-09-09T12:53:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T12:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/?p=2207"},"modified":"2026-09-09T12:53:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T12:53:01","slug":"why-the-versatile-pbj-remains-king-of-the-lunchbox-after-125-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/?p=2207","title":{"rendered":"Why the versatile PB&J remains king of the lunchbox after 125 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is prepared in New York in August 2026. (Katie Workman via AP)<\/small><\/p>\n

2026-09-09T12:28:51Z<\/p>\n

If there is a single sandwich associated with childhood and school lunches<\/a><\/span> in the U.S.A, it has to be the PB&J.<\/p>\n

Sweet and salty, inexpensive, easy to make (maybe the first sandwich many kids make for themselves?), peanut butter and jelly is as close to iconic as a sandwich can get.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been 125 years since the first known written recipe, and the PB&J concept is still going strong. In its simplest form, it\u2019s a lunchbox staple, but it\u2019s also a jumping-off point for creative takes<\/a><\/span> in eateries from delis to high-end restaurants.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s nothing if not versatile: When peanut allergies led to school bans<\/a><\/span>, alternative nut butters like almond and seed butters like sunflower, flaxseed and pumpkin seed stepped in.<\/p>\n

The combo began as a tea sandwich for the wealthy<\/h2>\n

The recipe that appeared in 1901 in The Boston Cooking School Magazine was written by Julia Davis Chandler. It called for current or crab-apple jelly and was viewed as a fancy tea-time snack for wealthy people. <\/p>\n

In the 1920s and \u201830s, commercial peanut butter and machine-sliced bread became widely available. Peter Pan and Skippy were early brands, and then Jif came along in the 1950s.<\/p>\n

Natural peanut butter has also carved out a niche, though what \u201cnatural\u201d means is up for debate. Many people think of it as peanut butter that allows the natural oil to separate, and requires stirring to emulsify.<\/p>\n

The classic old-school sandwich would have to be two slices of soft bread, probably white, maybe wheat, with a layer of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) on one side, jelly (often grape, maybe strawberry or raspberry, probably seedless) on the other. Simple and perfect.<\/p>\n

Not so long ago, a kid who lugged sandwiches to school made with heavy natural peanut butter and sugar-free jam on multigrain bread wouldn\u2019t have found anyone who wanted to trade. (Trust me on that.) <\/p>\n

But times and tastes have evolved, and now a sandwich like that would no longer feel crunchy-granola-weird.<\/p>\n

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