Stukjes Noot

Growing up, I had the standard relationship with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A hearty breakfast, brown-bag lunch, a solo dinner - there were always a reason for the PB&J.

During college I discovered the joys of the PB & B: a peanut butter and banana sandwich. A banana, cut lengthwise, can be used in place of the jelly for an experience as tasty. During a day when jelly would have been a little too sweet, I could hold myself over with the PB & B. Pasta-based meals became relegated to second place in my diet. The PB-based sandwich reigned supreme during this point in my life.

Now I personally preferred the chunky variety, though I always found chunky just a touch too chunky. I'm a big fan of the crunchy variations in the taste. I was never a zealot, preaching the virtues of creamy over crunky, nor vice-versa. I love the interplay of creamy and chunky, like music standing out against a subtle background of silence. During college I searched for a more balanced variety, experimenting with so-called "organic" peanut butter. For a less salty, more natural PB, the organic variety has a few drawbacks. One has to refrigerate organic peanut butter. Organic peanut butter also separates. These drawbacks were too much for me; I stuck with the plain variety of peanut butter found in grocery stores.

In modern day America, the plain ol' chunky variety of peanut butter can be difficult to find. When I moved to CT, the local grocery store didn't carry chunky peanut butter at all. Instead, I only found the creamy variety and a "Super Chunky" variety. I nearly gave up PB & J entirely while living in CT. The availability of a car meant that I could shop more regularly, and hence store meat no longer spoiled. I replaced nearly all of my PB & J meals with the meat-based sandwich (whose composition deserves a dissertation, but no spicy mustard).

While discussing my move to Europe, a new fear surprised me. Supposedly I might not be able to find peanut butter at all! Oh, the horror. A life without PB would be a life without music. I developed a back-up plan with several (redundancy is the life-bread of critical engineering systems) family members to send PB if need be. When I arrived, the first thing I searched for was PB. (Well, okay, second, as I looked for an extra tooth brush first)

Imagine my surprise when I found the greatest achievement in civilization since sliced bread, a hybrid variety of PB. The Dutch have invented a type of peanut butter with partially ground peanuts. The name of this peanut butter type, "Stukjes Noot" doesn't translate well into English. A close set of translated English phrases might be "Heaven on Earth", "Part Heaven", or "Nut Bits". My first peanut butter and jelly sandwich in Zuid-Holland has proven that if you travel half way around the world, you might find the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Thank you, Dutch people, for your deep understanding of haute cuisine.


(note: This post was written before I had regular internet. Please excuse any typos, as I was busy gorging myself on a double-decking work of PB & J perfection)