Ever subscribe to a magazine that conveniently skips an issue but then releases a “special double issue” that’s only about 10% longer? That’s like this post! I apologize for the infrequent posts but it’s due to my vacation in Canada, which led me through Montreal, Quebec and Jacques-Cartier National Park, with a stop in Manchester (Vermont) on the way home. But this Special Double-Post will offer a glimpse into my vacation and my discoveries of Canadian peanut butter. Can the midget-sized jar of Mystery Butter defeat the triple-sized jar from the corporate-giant Kraft in a taste test? Moreover, does this Mystery Butter give me magical powers? Probably. Is it delicious? Definitely.
Canada:
Nobody wants to see an endless photo-reel of someone else’s trip, so click the picture below for a picturesque summary:
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- A gorgeous sight at Jacques-Cartier National Park.
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- Babies in Canada aren’t born, they’re baked.
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- J.A. Maison, a gourmet shop on Rue St. Jean in Quebec City, was by far the best food store we found. We ate lunch here by getting bread, sliced meats and cheeses at the counter. It’s also where I got some of the peanut butter below!
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- An excellent selection of nut butters at J.A. Maison!
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- Look for the golden pig (or the sign that says Le Cochon Dingue) and you’re guaranteed a good meal. The pork burger? Fantastic!
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- Tucked down a side street, through a tunnel and past an opened gate we found Harry Potter’s school.
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- You absolutely MUST go to this restaurant! It’s a bit pricey and in a touristy area, but Aux Anciens Candiens is well worth it! The smoked bison over the pheasant breast was incredible!
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- Every few hours I stopped to get one of these and enjoy the sights! It’s pretty much my favorite thing to do in foreign countries.
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- We obviously had to get poutine. This one had onions, mushrooms and beef on top of the french fries, gravy and cheese curds. Quite tasty but I think my heart slowed down a little.
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- Found a duck whose head was way too large for it’s body. His only interest in me was because my fingers look like fat worms.
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- Freshly hatched piglets in Manchester! The noise at feeding time was defeaning.
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- Cocoa the Bear at The Village Peddler in East Arlington, VT. He weighs 100lbs.
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- Make sure to get a sandwich-to-go from Zoey’s sandwich shop in Manchester, VT! This buffalo chicken sandwich was delicious, and all sandwiches come with a bag of homemade potato chips.
Reviews:
Kraft Extra Creamy
= 70%Kraft Whipped
= 80%
Beurre d’Arachides Naturel Croquant
= 85%Nuts to You Mystery Butter 2
= 90%
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I’ve only just seen the whipped peanut butter in stores lately. iI’ll now have to get some based on your high rating.
Yup, it was just released by Kraft to honor my visit!
They don’t sell Kraft PB in the US?! That’s just weird. I grew up on good ol’ Kraft PB up here.
And Nuts To You makes great nut butters. Their mystery butters used to not say nuts were on them, but due to labeling requirements specifically for allergies, they had to start putting them on there. So they used to be much more mysterious ;) I think at any one time I have 4 or 5 of their nut butters in my cupboard.
Yup, no Kraft here! I really like the Whipped variety in the huge jars, I wish they sold it here!
Haha yea, I would have preferred if it didn’t say what was in the mystery butter, but that’s ok, it was still delicious!
Hope you enjoyed your visit to our GREAT country!
Keep up the god work on here and twitter!
@McCann_09
Thank you sir! I enjoyed it immensely and I shall definitely return!
I enjoyed the overview of Canada’s macerated monkey nut mixtures. If you’re interested in obtaining these, you should investigate whether specialty importers carry them.
I know that most of the exotic bike parts I order come from suppliers that are either a) a sole proprietor operation with a small commercial footprint or b) rather obscure specialty suppliers that cater to special-interest markets, the kind of enthusiasts who seek unadvertised products discovered by word-of-mouth.
As a final thought, I think you should automatically deduct 5% from any rating in cases where you feel compelled to adulterate a product in order to improve the taste (e.g., salt). If you added, say, two tablespoons of sourwood honey to the Kraft Extra Creamy product, it would have become a rather unique and intriguing mixture rather than the caboose of your contestants. That five percent would have tied the B.A.N.C. and the Kraft Whipped.
Still, great overview. When can I get a sample of your homebrew? I’m dying to try it!
-Tim
True, I’m sure I could find it around here. Otherwise I’ll just have to go back to Quebec!
Good point – but the problem with the deduction is that not everyone has a salt tooth like me, so I try not to base any of my reviews based on the level of salt. For example: Kirkland peanut butter is excellent, but has no salt added. I almost prefer it that way so I can tailor it to exactly my specifications.
Come home and you’ll get a taste for sure!
Glad you enjoyed the peanut butter offerings in La belle province!
Interestingly enough, I’ve never tried any of these peanut butters! I usually stock my peanut butter shelf when I take trips to the states, since I like to try something new, but it’s nice to know I can have a bit of new right here at home!
Yea, the states definitely has a larger offering but keep your eyes out for these brands in your hometown!
Thanks, Nick. I look forward to coming home for an extended visit to friends, family, and familiar sights. At this point, I’m pretty much a full-time journalist/rep for the Navy, and the news never stops.
When I have plans, you’ll be one of the first to know.
Great – let me know! Enjoy it down there.