How have so many people come to love peanut butter? Experts aren’t sure how long it takes to develop the taste, but to many people it’s a formative childhood memory. One notable fan, William F. Buckley Jr., called it “absolutely congenital.”
Like many other prepared foods, though, peanut butter is not a traditional homemade product that was merely industrialized in the 19th century, like jelly or bread. Instead it developed decade by decade, shaped by innovations in chemistry, marketing, distribution, and even packaging. And its popularity shows both the power and limits of intellectual property.
Read Full Article »