Whoever first thought of the dark chocolate peanut butter combination was, of course, a genius. Both the peanut and the cacao tree originated in South America, maybe the combination was inevitable. But, it wasn't until the early 20th century that chocolate and peanut butter were combined. Now there are many different ways to enjoy the unique mix of dark chocolate and peanut butter.
Just like the cacao tree, the peanut is native to South America. And, like cacao, early explorers brought the peanut back to Europe, and it soon spread to the rest of the world. Every culture that has made use of the peanut has sometimes used pastes of ground or crushed peanuts. But these were nothing like what we know today.
Modern peanut butter was developed in the 1890s as a meat substitute. It was actually created by grinding the peanuts in a meat grinder. The Kelloggs, of later cereal fame, patented a "Process of Preparing Nut Meal" in 1895. Peanut butter gained in popularity following its introduction at the 1904 World's Fair, and really took off after a process for making shelf-stable peanut butter was invented in 1922.
The Peanut Butter Cup
Also in the 1920s, H.B. Reese introduced the Peanut Butter Cup, and the rest is history. Peanut butter cups with dark chocolate are much more recent, with Reese's (now owned by Hershey's) Dark Peanut Butter Cup only introduced in 2004. But aren't we glad they did?
The peanut butter cup is the form in which you are most likely to find the dark chocolate with peanut butter combination, either in bulk, or in limited productions by smaller manufacterers. You can also find sugar free, organic, and vegan varieties.
Other Forms
Dark chocolate and peanut butter can also be found as bon bons, peanut butter-filled dark chocolate balls, and peanut butter clusters.
Top Photo, www.blisstree.com
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