April 2 is an important day overshadowed by the apparently more significant date of April 1, more commonly known as April Fool’s day. But April 2, National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, shouldn’t be pushed to the back of the drawer, but rather, celebrated with the gusto with which the sandwiches are so often eaten. From playgrounds and construction sites to office cubicles and backyard patios, everyone digs the simple satisfaction of a PB&J. So grab a sandwich and celebrate while you read.

The origins of this classic sandwich are muddled in the murky depths of history. Popular legend claims that sometime in the mid-1900s, a sandwich angel alighted and handed out a few peanut butter and jelly recipes to some grandmothers, who proceeded to make PB&J’s for their families, causing a chain reaction, which led to the whole country falling in love with a perfect sandwich.

Others point to a less supernatural origin of the sandwich. A more historically factual theory is that, because peanut butter and jelly were both rations in the U.S. military during World War II, the combination of the sweet and salty flavors were a nice change of taste for the soldiers. Word from the ranks spread, and back in the civilian world, peanut butter and jelly started increasing in popularity. Whatever the beginnings of the sandwich, the PB&J soon became a household staple in postwar America.

The origins of peanut butter, however, are clearer. The spread was introduced to the masses at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, although it wasn’t necessarily a new concept, as in South America there were existing peanut butter recipes. Soon after the fair, many companies began production of peanut butter. It was then sold in wider distribution, as was pre-sliced bread, making the sandwich even more accessible to the public.

As unimaginable as it could seem, sometimes a regular PB&J sandwich just doesn’t hit the spot. It may need more pizzazz, spunk a bit of razzle-dazzle. Please don’t dress up your sandwich or put glitter on it, because that’s weird.

Some Fun Things to Do with your sandwiches:

1)      A standard modification: add some fruit to your PB&J. Bananas are an excellent and famous example – made popular by the King of Rock ‘n Roll himself, Elvis – but go a little crazy and use some smaller berries, like blueberries, to add some more tang to it. A jelly that complements the taste of your added fruit would probably be a good idea, as well. Your goal is spontaneity and creativity between the bread, not a gross flavor combo like peach jelly and blackberries.

2)      A classic PB&J usually is made on white bread, so change that up. Baguette bread, bulky roll, Ritz crackers, raisin bread, you get the idea. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous or have a vendetta against the enamel of your teeth, try a PB&J on a cinnamon bun – get permission from your dentist first.

3)      Use different textured peanut butter. If you like chunky, use smooth and vice-versa. For Teddy Roosevelt levels of adventurousness, there’s always the relatively recent advent of “superchunk,” a sub-species of peanut butter with enough peanuts crammed in to satiate a cartoon pachyderm. Chew thoroughly, true believers.

4)      Use cookie cutters to make shaped sandwiches. Obviously the demographic here isn’t kindergarteners, but admit it; eating sandwiches shaped like stuff is a nice break from the cold grip of reality. Embrace your inner ankle-biter with PB&Js shaped like a snowman or a dog, or, well, whatever shape you like to eat stuff in. It’s your sandwich – make it look cool.

5)      Grill it! Or toast it! Or broil it! In other words, turn your cold treat into a warm one. Peanut butter and jelly is usually renowned for its relatively low preparation time, but if you’re willing to put in a few more minutes, a hot PB&J is like a hot pocket from the gods.

But of course, this isn’t all about eating, so here are some fun facts about PB&J.

1)      The world’s biggest peanut butter and jelly sandwich was created November 6, 1993 in Peanut, Pennsylvania.

2)      The average American child will eat about 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches before they graduate high school.

3)      An 18 oz. jar of peanut butter will contain about 850 peanuts.

4)      Around 1 billion pounds of fruit spread (jams, jellies, preserves) are produced each year in the U.S.

So there you have it folks; April 2, National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Sandwich safely.

Araz Havan can be reached at [email protected].