Wednesday, August 11, 2010

PB&J!

During dinner on Tuesday night, Martine, Ayumi, and I were discussing food that is traditional in our countries. We somehow got on the subject of PB&Js. Ayumi said she thought it was the strangest thing that Americans like peanut butter and jam together. She said she had never tried it but saw it in a movie. She said all Japanese think the same thing. Sure enough, when we asked the class the next day, all the Japanese said the same thing.

I also described to Ayumi the other things Americans like with their peanut butter like honey, bananas, or nutella. Am I missing anything? Martine said I can buy peanut butter here, so I may get some and make an assortment of peanut butter sandwiches for the class to try. I never thought peanut butter could be such a novelty.

I have read and heard that a lot of French (and other cultures) don't like peanut butter. Both Martine and Ayumi said they like it though - Martine especially. She ate a lot of it when she lived in Quebec, Canada.

Martine also likes peanut butter in crepes along with jam, honey, nutella, or bananas. She has invited a friend and her daughter to come over tomorrow night for a crepe soiree so we can try all the fixings. Martine also said ice cream is great in crepes. I've never tried it, but I hope to tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell Martine that I signed up for a cooking class for tomorrow night. I'm going to see if I can get someone else to take my spot, so that I can join in on the soiree.

4 comments:

  1. This is great cross-cultural stuff. I think peanut butter is just "too American" for many foreigners, unless they are very open-minded. When it comes to adopting or trying foreign things, Americans are maybe in first place - because we're a young, melting-pot culture. My favorite peanut butter sandwich is toasted bread with PB, sweet picle slices and lettuce. Yum!

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  2. Dad's favorite is peanut butter and pickles! Yish! Chacon a son gout! In solidarity with your proposed wine tasting yesterday, Dad bought a bottle of Vouvray for us to drink last night. It was one of the sweeter Vouvrays but not cloying. We thought of you while drinking it. But maybe you stayed home for crepes instead? Mom

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  3. Peanut butter and sweet pickles? C'est bizarre, n'est pas?

    Vouvray is tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. Tonight I have the cooking class. Unfortunately, I could not find another student to take my place, so I have to skip the crepes soiree. Hopefully, Martine will have another before I leave. I'm sure the cooking class will be great as well!

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  4. I object! Open-minded and liking peanut butter have nothing to do with each other. I/we Dane(s) do not like peanut butter, it was never part of our growing-up diet; that does not preclude our open-mindedness :) To prove my open-mindedness let me state, peanut butter is gross, nutella is yammy. There.

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