The enduring power of PB&J: 125 years later the lunchbox classic always taste like childhood

If there is a single sandwich associated with childhood and school lunches in the U.S.A, it has to be the PB&J.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.It’s been 125 years since the first known written recipe, and the PB&J concept is still going strong.In its simplest form, it’s a lunchbox staple, but it’s also a jumping-off point for creative takes in eateries from delis to high-end restaurants.It’s nothing if not versatile: When peanut allergies led to school bans, alternative nut butters like almond and seed butters like sunflower, flaxseed, and pumpkin seed stepped in.The recipe that appeared in 1901 in The Boston Cooking School Magazine was written by Julia Davis Chandler.

It called for currant or crab-apple jelly and was viewed as a fancy tea-time snack for wealthy people.In the 1920s and ‘30s, 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.Natural peanut butter has also carved out a niche, though what “natural” 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.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.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’t have found anyone who wanted to trade.

(Trust me on that.)But times and tastes have evolved, and now a sandwich like that would no longer feel crunchy-granola-weird.Griddled or pan-fried versions of the PB&J are popular throughout the South and Midw...