Grape Jelly Conspiracy...........

There are many differences between what Americans like and what Canadians like. Some differences can't be explained - nor can I find any reasons for the differences. So - in this case, I'll just have to make some guesses.....

Today I'm going to talk about Grape Jelly. If you are Canadian you probably don't own a jar of Grape Jelly - am I right? You have grown up eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches made with strawberry or raspberry jam. If you are American, you likely own a jar of Grape Jelly - am I right? You might only own one jar of preserves and it is likely to be Grape Jelly.

I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery to find out why Grape Jelly is so popular here, yet basically unknown in Canada. What accounts for this popularity? Is it true that there is a Grape Jelly conspiracy here in the States? This article in the Boston Globe documents one author's quest for the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich - a quest that he considers as personal and subjective as the search for beauty or truth. The author professes his preference for Grape Jelly. He quotes a 2005 survey by Smuckers that found that adult PB&J eaters were split, with 40 percent going for grape and 36 percent sticking with strawberry, and the remainder split among other fruit types. There was more of a gap with children and teens ages 8 to 17, with grape solidly leading 49 percent to 38 percent. An informal poll of almost everyone I have met here in Kansas shows unequivocally that Grape Jelly is the preferred ingredient for the perfect PB&J........it is a conspiracy I tell you........