Happy Monday, So Good readers!  Just your friendly neighborhood Junk Food Guy here, back atcha after another two week holiday.  This week, I’d like to review a product from one of my favorite companies – Peanut Butter & Co.  Before I moved to DC, I spent some time in NYC. One of my favorite pastimes was to head to Peanut Butter & Co. on Sullivan Street and eat one of their amazing peanut butter and jelly combinations.  When they started releasing their spreads in jars to be sold nationwide, I was elated.  I’ve reviewed some of their flavors on my blog before.

Peanut Butter & Co. “The Heat Is On” Peanut Butter is one flavor that I hadn’t tried before, and the good folks at Peanut Butter & Co. sent me some to try.  A spicy peanut butter sounded intriguing, especially since sweet/savory has been such a big hit. In their sandwich shop, they serve it with chicken and pineapple jam, sort of like a Thai chicken satay.  This does make me nervous – how spicy exactly IS this spread?

This jar of Peanut Butter & Co. “The Heat Is On” Peanut Butter suggests eating peanut butter with celery, which is a combo I have never fully gotten into.  I know people love it.  BUT I DON’T GET IT.  I mean, celery to me is a great vegetable, used to add crunch to my chicken salad, dip into dressing with hot wings, etc.  But whenever I eat peanut butter with celery, it feels like I’m eating a mouthful of water plus peanut butter.  “But it’s a great low calorie vessel for the peanut butter” my friends tell me.  You know what’s even less calories than eating celery?  NOT eating celery.

Peanut Butter & Co. “The Heat Is On” Peanut Butter contains chili powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, paprika and vinegar.  Hooo boy.

When I opened this jar of Peanut Butter & Co. “The Heat Is On” Peanut Butter, I loved seeing all the little chili specks in the spread.  The jar smelled like peanut butter, but I didn’t get any sweetness from it.  Not surprising, really, since the ingredients don’t mention any sugar added to it.  This is a savory peanut butter spread.  Say whaaaaaaaaa?

I licked my spoon clean of this peanut butter, and WOW my head just exploded with spice.  HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE this is spicy!  Cough cough ….holy moly.  Ok, let me gather myself here.  Dude.

This peanut butter started out fine – tasted like an un-sugared, fresh peanut butter.  Very smooth, and good fresh peanut taste.  All of a sudden, the spice kicked in – and kicked HARD.  VERY spicy, this borderlined on being almost flavorless because my taste buds started to burn out.  The closest flavor I can describe is this sort of tasted like pureed Cajun-spice peanuts.  Imagine your favorite spicy-powdered-in-a-bowl-at-a-bar peanut mix.  This tasted like that, with more spice, and all ground up into a paste.  It was savory and full of pepper.

I almost might say this was TOO spicy, but I can definitely see how this would be good on meat, and then add a little fruit chutney to tame the spice and provide contrast.

All in all, a very interesting product.  For what they were going after, Peanut Butter & Co. hit it out of the park.  Where/when to eat it? To me, sort of limited opportunities.   Thai style chicken is the main one.  BUT I could also see dipping salted pretzels into this (YUM).  Can’t think of any other instances I’d eat something peanut-y that is THIS SPICY.  Can you?

PURCHASED AT: Shop Online or Buy at any of THESE stores!

COST: about $6.00.

Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy and read more reviews at JunkFoodGuy.com. Let’s hang out.