To say peanut butter is one of the things I miss the most when traveling abroad would be a lie. I never think about peanut butter. In fact, I don’t remember the last time I had peanut butter back in the states. But that doesn’t change the fact that when I had a chance to order peanut butter + toast at my hostel here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I felt full to my heart.

Peanut butter just has this roasted flavor profile that warms my soul. Coupled with the satisfying crunch as you bite into the toast, it’s a one way shot into childhood nostalgia, Saturday-morning cartoons, and playing dodgeball with my friends at the playground — Even the quieter moments when I just wanted a late-night snack. Peanut butter was always there for me.

I guess it makes sense as to why I’d feel all these feelings of love as I took my first bite of peanut butter + toast in perhaps months or years. I find it peculiar that something that’s had such a large presence in my life is not something I feel more drawn to on the regular basis.

Perhaps that’s part of its charm. No matter where you go, someone always has a jar of peanut butter in their cabinet. It’s always there for you. It doesn’t call attention to itself, but when you need it, it does the job every single time.

That must be why this one chance to eat a slice of peanut butter + toast is so heartwarming. It’s giving me a stable place of memories and experiences that I can hold onto as I continue my travels across Southeast Asia. No matter where I am, and no matter how lost in translation I get, I know peanut butter will always be there for me.

Now, I think I need a glass of milk.

by Jason Lam