Important Question: Do You Toast Your Bread for Peanut Butter and Jelly?
Late in the day yesterday, an argument erupted in the Food & Wine digital department over whether peanut butter and jelly sandwiches should be built on toasted bread or untoasted bread. It all started with this story, pegged on a report that NBA players love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—and that nearly every team has its own signature style of PB&J.
"So that NBA piece popped up," writer Max Bonem says. "And I was like, 'Man, I love a good PB&J.' And I think Noah agreed and then I asked, 'Here's a question: Do you toast or not?' and Phoebe overheard and BOOM the debate was underway."
That's when our social team posted the poll to Twitter—and, at time of publication, nearly 2,000 people have voted, with respondents split right down the middle—47 percent chose untoasted and 47 chose toasted (six percent chose: "spoon emoji straight from the jar"—which, while we admire your ardour, is really neither here nor there).
IMPORTANT QUESTION: Toasted bread for peanut butter and jelly?
— Food & Wine (@foodandwine) March 21, 2017
Does Toasted vs. Untoasted rank somewhere up there with the most incendiary food debates of all time—ketchup on eggs? to fold or not fold pizza? potato chips on sandwiches? ketchup or mayo on French fries?
Here are some of the funniest (and most contentious) responses we've had on Twitter so far. Is this the What Color Is This Dress of 2017? You decide.
Photographer Vivienne Gucwa is legit scandalized by untoasters:
@foodandwine Legit scandalized by how many people have voted no. The toast warmth takes the peanut butter to the next level!
— Vivienne Gucwa (@travelinglens) March 21, 2017
This smiliest animal on earth (quokka) doesn't understand how people can even eat toasted PB&J, like, logistically:
@foodandwine no way! the peanut butter gets all melty and makes the sando impossible to eat.
— i'm a quokka (@travismockfler) March 21, 2017
One respondent goes one step further and says they toast the whole darn sandwich—in butter!
@foodandwine butter the outside and toast it in cast iron like a grilled cheese. Gooey warm delicious. Raspberry jam & Nutella FTW!!!
— Brando (@TeamZissouChef) March 21, 2017
And some respondents vary their techniques depending on the bread in play.
@foodandwine Totally depends on the bread! Soft white pullman or @potatorolls : untoasted. Heartier whole grain: toasted golden brown / open face.
— Big Spoon Roasters (@bigspooners) March 22, 2017
Whichever side you fall on in the toasted/untoasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich debate, remember that in these divisive times, it's important to reach across partisan lines to share your stories and listen to experiences from outside your toast bubble. Or not. Whatever.
For more fun ways to use peanut butter and jelly, check out our recipe roundup right here. One easy way to avoid the toasted/untoasted debate is to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with COOKIES.