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:

Reviews:

Kraft Extra Creamy

= 70%
 
Kraft is a huge company, with hundreds of products here in the United States, yet they don’t sell their peanut butter here. It’s a shame because they have at least 8 different varieties of peanut butter to choose from! However, this one in particular is nothing special, it tastes like any other regular creamy peanut butter. It is a little creamier and lighter than regular peanut butter, but not much. And unfortunately I didn’t buy the regular Kraft Creamy for comparison. But overall, it’s a good standard peanut butter.

Kraft Whipped

= 80%
 
This Kraft variety is much cooler than the previous. It’s similar to Peter Pan Whipped but I think it’s even lighter and fluffier. It’s not very sweet but it still tastes like you’re eating peanut butter frosting. This variety isn’t great for making sandwiches or cooking with since that just takes the air out, but it’s excellent for dipping carrots, celery, chips and apples into.

Beurre d’Arachides Naturel Croquant
= 85%
 
In the photostream above there’s a picture of J.A. Maison, a gourmet food store located at 699 Rue St. Jean in Quebec City. And to the right is a photo of this peanut butter, a fresh-ground natural chunky variety. The only ingredients are peanuts, and it tastes just like you’d expect. It’s nicely roasted and had plenty of chunks to satisfy my craving for natural peanut butter in Canada. The only thing I added was some salt to give it a little flavor. We used it on everything from baguettes to dark chocolate gelato.

Nuts to You Mystery Butter 2

= 90%
 
This brand is fairly popular in Canada – I saw it in several locations. Nuts to You has an incredible variety of natural nut butters, including several “Mystery Butters”, as well as some varieties that even have dried fruit mixed in. Unfortunately, the mystery butters aren’t as mysterious as they sound, although I do believe it’s making me stronger (or fatter). This variety in particular is a combination of peanuts and hazelnuts, making it a super creamy nut butter similar to Trader Joe’s Natural Creamy. The flavor is excellent too, a perfect combination of peanuts and hazelnuts that make you think you’re eating a new type of nut. A pinch of salt is all that’s needed!

Filed in Peanut Butter, Reviews

12 Responses / Leave a comment »

  1. giz says:

    I’ve only just seen the whipped peanut butter in stores lately. iI’ll now have to get some based on your high rating.

  2. Marianne says:

    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.

    • Nick says:

      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!

  3. Kyle says:

    Hope you enjoyed your visit to our GREAT country!
    Keep up the god work on here and twitter!
    @McCann_09

  4. Tim Mosso says:

    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

    • Nick says:

      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!

  5. Anne says:

    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!

  6. Tim Mosso says:

    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.

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