Peanut butter became an American kitchen staple during World War I when people were encouraged to substitute peanuts for beef and pork so that meat could instead be sent to the troops fighting overseas. When the war ended, people gladly crossed peanut loaf and peanut soup off the menu, but peanut butter has remained a favorite for over a century. Read more about what people ate during WWI, including a teenager who lies about his name and age to escape his immigrant Jewish family and join the navy in On the Shore. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
