The Krema Nut Company is widely known and lauded as being one of the oldest producers of peanut butter in the United States. The company has been making the stuff since 1898, maintaining a natural style that’s entirely distinct from the Jif stuff “choosy” mothers choose.
Krema’s more than plain ol’ peanut butter, though. Its modern line-up includes a Hot & Spicy version of the house peanut butter, along with other goodies such as Roasted Cashews with Sea Salt and Pepper.
Then there’s the lesser-known world of corn.
Krema’s Buckeye Crunch makes its way into mainstream local grocery stores every football season. Buckeye Crunch is carmel popcorn, coated in peanut butter and chocolate confections. And it’s very palatable, with an old-school burnt-sugar base, and a dense and thorough coating of sweet peanut butter stuff. Every kernel is coated: zero disappointments. There’s a teeny chocolate-ish (no cocoa butter in the ingredients) drizzle that makes a nice decoration, but the product is really best for sweet tooths with a taste for a natural peanut butter treat.
And Krema is also venturing into the world of Corn Nuggets. It’s a product that hasn’t yet made the big grocers, but it should. Very much like the widely known Corn Nuts, Krema’s nugget kernels are smaller than the big conglomerate product. Krema’s version is also more complex with the natural corn flavor on display -pimped out with cheese flavoring (a la Cheetos) in the Cheddar Corn Nuggets or, for hot heads: there’s a nice, spiky Habanaro version. The heat on the latter is late-hitting, so constant hand-to-mouth action is required to fend off an intense burning sensation.
You’ll find both corn products at the local gourmet groceries, or head to the Krema headquarters itself. It’s located in Grandview at 1000 W. Goodale Blvd. The hours of operation are Mondays through Fridays, 9am until 5pm and Saturdays, 10am until 2pm.
More information can be found online at www.krema.com.
Photos by Logan Miller.
