Canadian food DYK: Peanut butter was invented by a Montreal pharmacist

Bet you didn't know that your favourite spreadable nut butter was invented in Canada

Image for Canadian food DYK: Peanut butter was invented by a Montreal pharmacist

Not all heroes wear capes. This one wore a lab coat.

Whether you’re a fan of smooth or chunky peanut butter in your PB&J, the gooey spread is without a doubt, a staple in North American food culture.

Montreal pharmacist Marcellus Gilmore Edson first patented peanut butter in 1884 when he milled roasted peanuts between two heated surfaces. After mixing sugar into the paste to thicken it, he created a product that had "a consistency like that of butter, lard, or ointment," according to his patent.

Although the delicious creamy concoction we find on grocery store shelves today is slightly different from Edson’s original version, there is no denying that Canada was the true origin of the spread that started it all.