Discovering Peanut Butter In Brazil

Sometimes, the comforts of home can weigh heavily on the traveler’s soul, and it is in these times that we must find strength—strength to go out and find whatever we are jonesing for and to do so at all costs.

The shelves of Brazilian and American markets are quite different, and many everyday items that I (and many others) take for granted in the States are rare or nonexistent in Brazil.

So, one night, I made my way to one of the six grocery stores (I prefer the term market, but this seems to confuse most people who associate this term exclusively with farmers’ markets) within a two-block radius of my home in search of peanut butter (a commodity I had yet to discover in Brazil). Since my peanut butter craving struck at an inopportune time (almost midnight), my only option was a 24-hour Pão de Açúcar.

My trip was the first I had made to this establishment, and it turned out that their food and drink selection was far superior to the closer market I had been frequenting. To my surprise, I came across a box of Sun-Maid raisins shortly after entering (a first in Brazil), and I decided they would be coming home with me. I proceeded to scour the store in search of peanut butter (creamy, of course), and soon found myself out of luck.

Defeated, I headed to the checkout (where I would likely be waiting for ages). But on my way there, I noticed peanut butter on the shelving near the registers. At least it looked like peanut butter. It was labeled “Peter Pan,” and there was a peanut that read “creamy” on the label. That was good enough for me.

I opened the container immediately upon exiting the loja and sunk my finger almost to the bottom, scooping out a sizable portion of the jar, which I promptly inserted into my mouth. It was indeed the butter of peanuts.

Brazil gets better and butter.