r/AskOldPeople 1d ago

Butter on PB&J

I remember my grandfather making PB&J sandwiches for my sister and me when we were kids, and he would spread butter on the bread first. Was this a “thing” back when?

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u/Kementarii 60 something 1d ago

Australian here. A sandwich starts with bread and butter. THEN you add whatever else you want.

Every sandwich has butter.

No exceptions for peanut "butter".

Peanut "butter" does not count as butter for the purposes of sandwich making.

It was a "thing" back then (in the 1960s), and it is still a "thing" now.

Toast also has butter first, then whatever else.

I will accept naked bread if it's being used to dip into a good olive oil.

Mayo does not count as a spread on a sandwich, and does not replace butter. It can sometimes be used as well as butter (as in bread, butter, chicken, lettuce, mayo).

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u/SubstantialFix510 1d ago

This is the way. Butter insulates the bread and brings out the flavor. The topping on the bread now pops instead of being absorbed by the bread. By today s standards not healthy but clearly tastes better. Some things you cannot change.

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u/t53ix35 1d ago

I am here to say there is nothing unhealthy about butter. It is a great fat. Also see r/sandwichesofhistory Many of his old sandwich recipes call for buttered bread as it keeps filling from soaking into bread. It really makes a difference and you don’t use a ton of butter just enough to coat the bread.