‘I’m obsessed with Dutch peanut butter - it beats French or US brands’

I do not often feel a need to comment, but when it comes to peanut butter (‘Sales soar as US expats look for taste of home’, Connexion, November) I cannot hold back.

I agree that Americans love the stuff and probably consume more than anyone on the planet – but that is only because there are a lot of them in a very large country that grows peanuts.

The Dutch probably consume as much per head of population, and especially love a peanut spread called pindakaas.

They were probably the first to start importing peanuts in Europe and several very large companies have seen huge successes from this, feeding the Dutch appetite for not only peanut butter but also satay sauce.

Read more: Why peanuts and pistachios are the future of French farming

I find Skippy too sweet and oily

Being Dutch myself, I need my peanut butter and have found that the French simply do not get it.

I struggled to find it in our local supermarkets when I moved here in 2006, so would occasionally bring a jar or two back from the Netherlands when visiting family.

Then US brand Skippy turned up on the shelves. It is very expensive, as your article points out, but also about as ‘peanut’ as American chocolate is chocolate.

It is sweet, oily and just tastes ‘modified’. Not for me. The French Menguy product is very similar, with no real texture.

Lidl occasionally sells McEnnedy ‘American Way’ peanut butter in both smooth and crunchy varieties.

It is a bit browner, less sweet, more ‘peanut’ and has a wonderful texture. In fact, it tastes much like Dutch peanut butter, not at all ‘American Way’ – thankfully.

As it is not available year-round, I stock up when I can. They typically sell 700g pots and the price is below €3.

I spotted Dutch pindakaas in France

I have also recently found pindakaas being sold in the France Asia shop in Pau for €2.89 for 500g – just 10% more expensive than the Netherlands.

It is made by Dutch company PCD – Swartberg, who have been making the stuff since 1905.

They supply private label branded products, so you often find it being sold under different names, but it is the same stuff inside.

The Dutch peanut butter snob would, of course, prefer Calvé brand pindakaas. You can buy it in 1,000g jars – with the same plastic lid as PCD.

Can you tell I am obsessed?

Jan Zuidhof,

Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Your view

Which brand of peanut butter do you prefer (French or not)? Let us know via news@connexionfrance.com

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