National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

The story

Julia Davis Chandler is credited with creating what we now know as the peanut butter and jelly sandwich in 1901. Chandler's recipe has been published in the Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics. The recipe called for three layers of bread, one layer of peanut butter, and one of currant jelly. Peanut butter was introduced at the Chicago World's Fair in 1883 and was originally considered to be a delicacy for the upper classes. It was sold in New York City's finest tea rooms and paired with savory foods like cheese, saltines, celery, and watercress. It wasn't until 1896 that a recipe in Good Housekeeping magazine urged people to try spreading peanut butter on bread. As the production of peanut butter increased, the prices dropped, making it more accessible to all classes. In the 1920s, the invention of sliced bread revolutionized not only the world but also American children's school lunches and snacks, enabling them to easily make their sandwiches, with PB&J being the top choice. In fact, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are so loved in the United States that they have been a part of the US Army's military ration list since World War II.