Peanut butter and jolly

The world is already divided into camps of Skippy and Jif, hydrogenated and natural, crunchy and smooth, salted and unsalted. And these days, as more regional peanut butter producers pop up, people might be likely to choose their butters by proximity.

Which is one reason Mercury Amodio decided to produce her own "house" peanut butter last fall when she opened PBandU in Wayne, a sit-down restaurant that serves peanut butter "any way you like it."

"It was very important to us that we make our own in-house," she says. "You can make your own peanut butter sandwiches at home but you can't get it this fresh, off the mill, unless you get it here."

Amodio is a firm believer in the universality of her product. "Peanut butter is something you know you can rely on. I think that's why you always see it in college cafeterias. People crave it because it's just comforting."

The National Peanut Board estimates that 90 percent of American households have at least one jar of peanut butter at home. Peanut butter is economical, protein-packed, and the basis of many easy meals.

And there's no need to mess with a good thing. Since its introduction in the early 20th century, jarred peanut butter has been subjected to the "improvements" of well-meaning people. It's been embellished with stripes of jelly packed into the jar, defatted with peanut flour and tapioca, and made allergy-friendly with egg whites, wheat germ, and flaxseeds. There are chocolate peanut butters, raisin peanut butters, and even, locally, a maple pumpkin peanut butter made by the company Better Butter with pumpkin puree for a lower-calorie spread. Marina Levtov, owner of Better Butter, already has a loyal following for her vegan honey chocolate chip and honey banana peanut butters, made at Greensgrow Farms' community kitchen in Kensington.

For my taste, basic (and fresh) peanut butter is usually best. At Edwards Freeman Nut factory outlet store in Conshohocken, the shelves are stocked with variations like butterscotch and chile-spiked Kickin' Hot, yet the most popular products, according to store manager Mike Shields, have always been traditional chunky and smooth.