Peanut butter becomes a hit in trendy cafes – 03/13/2023 – Food

One tablespoon of peanut butter contains at least 120 calories. An energy bomb, the ingredient has been successful in artisanal bakeries and coffee shops, driven precisely by the generation that seeks natural, vegan and energetic food.

At Le Blé Casa de Pães, in São Paulo, pastry chef Fernando Campos toasts the peanuts, adds 20% sugar and processes the paste in a melanger, equipment designed for chocolate, which guarantees a smooth texture.

It fills the tapioca (R$18) and covers the bread on the griddle (R$11), either at the entrance (when the slice is already plated with the paste) or at the exit (when the butter is added later). It is also available for sale in pots of 200 grams (R$ 18).

A mix of café, gallery and studio in São Paulo, Fita. SP reproduces the American classic PBJ, acronym for “peanut butter and jelly”. Slices of brioche and naturally fermented bread are smeared with a thick layer of homemade peanut butter, plus red fruit jelly (R$24).

Toasted with sugar and a pinch of salt, the peanuts come out of the caramelized oven, which yields a darker, slightly sweeter paste.

“We burned some blenders until we bought a more powerful processor”, says Camila Véras, a partner, who beats up to three kilos of peanuts a week.

At the King of the Fork (KOF) café, in Pinheiros, in the west zone of São Paulo, anyone who tries the brioche toast with sweetened peanut butter and red fruit jelly (R$ 20) also has the chance to take the treat home ( BRL 27, 240 grams).

For Paulo Filho, a partner at the house, the profile of the neighborhood helps with sales. “Pinheiros has tourists and foreigners who live here, people who travel and are used to the product.”

Not far away, in Pompeii, Tectonica takes a bigger risk and puts peanut butter in savory dishes too. The grains are processed without salt or sugar and result in a pate with a more neutral flavor, which goes on toast with glazed mushrooms (R$28) and flavors the satay sauce of the Vietnamese dish tecto bun chay (R$32).

“It’s a very versatile product. I’m a fan, because it yields outrageous combinations”, says Bruna Ary, the café’s partner.

Cariocas also surrendered. At the artisan bakery The Slow Bakery, with units in Botafogo, Jardim Botânico and Leblon, PBJ brings peanut butter and organic red fruit jelly on seed bread (R$20).

The United States was the first country to revere the paste — according to the National Peanut Board, an entity that represents the industry in the sector, at least 94% of the population always have a jar at home.

Famous admirers helped to give visibility to indulgent recipes, like the sandwich that Elvis Presley chose as his favorite: two slices of toasted bread with generous layers of fried bacon, banana and peanut butter.

The origin of the paste, however, is closer to the natural footprint of the new generations. In the book “Peanuts – The Illustrious History of the Goober”, culinary history professor Andrew F. Smith says that the recipe may have been created in a New York hospital, as food for patients with digestive problems.

But it was the vegetarian doctor John Harvey Kellogg, brother of the creator of breakfast cereals, who was the first to publicize it, still in the 19th century. Kellogg’s paste was produced with peanuts cooked in the oven, in a pan with water, until they dried. It took a little salt.

“Vegetarians embraced peanut butter almost immediately, and recipes for making and using it appeared in almost every vegetarian cookbook published in 1899,” says Smith.

What Kellogg saw then, scientists corroborate more than a century later. According to nutritionist Clarissa Fujiwara, Master of Science from USP and member of the Nutrition Department of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, Abeso, peanuts are a great source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibers and vegetable proteins.

The fat content is high, 54%, but more than half of them are unsaturated, that is, that good fat for cardiovascular health. “Because it is quite caloric, I suggest that consumption of the paste does not exceed 20 grams per day, the equivalent of a tablespoon, and may be a little more in the case of those who practice physical activity.”

This is considering a butter that does not add any other ingredient. When they enter, you have to redo the account. “Each gram of sugar contains 4 calories,” says Fujiwara.

To make peanut butter at home, just process the pure grains, without shell or skin. No need to add any fat, the peanut itself is enough to ensure creaminess. The smoother or more rustic texture will depend on the power of the blender or processor. On this neutral base, you can vary it by toasting the grains beforehand, adding salt and sugar and even other ingredients.

It is also worth exchanging peanuts for other nuts, as taught by Denilson Franco, founder of Mantekatu. His portfolio lists, in addition to the peanut version, almonds with vanilla and cashew nuts, among others.

The pots (from R$22) are sold at the farmers and artisans fair, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, in Praça da Mangueira, in Ilhabela (SP).

Brands aimed at high-performance athletes and physical activity enthusiasts also take a ride on the lode. Power1One, from Marília (SP), announces that its peanut butter is sugar-free. According to the company’s partner, Pedro Luiz Ciccotti, the recipe contains xylitol, a natural sweetener. There is also a turbocharged version with whey protein, but Ciccotti says he attracts customers with peanut butter in flavors such as hazelnut bonbon and brownie.

Where to try and where to buy

Tape.SP
R. Major Sertório, 209, Vila Buarque, São Paulo

King of the Fork (KOF)
R. Artur de Azevedo, 1.317 and r. Cunha Gago, 635, Pinheiros, São Paulo, Instagram: @kingofthefork

Le Blé Bread House
. Pará, 252, Higienópolis, São Paulo leblecasadepaes.com.br

tectonics
Rua Ministro Ferreira Alves, 686, Pompeia, São Paulo Instagram: @tectonica.sp

The Slow Bakery
R. General Polidoro, 25, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, and other addresses. Instagram @theslowbakery

mantekatu
Instagram @mantekatu

Power1One
loja.power1one.com.br