66 | DECEMBER 26 • 2024
J
N
Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at thejewishnews.com
The Return of
Velvet Peanut Butter
T
here are two reasons behind
my Looking Back this
week, which revisits my
column from 2023 on that great,
great invention of
Jewish Detroiter Paul
Zuckerman. Yes, I’m
talking about the
unparalleled Velvet
Peanut Butter!
Detroiters know
that this is the peanut
butter with the yellow
label featuring three
kids: “Pure,” “Delicious” and
“Fresh.” For many, many years, and
still today, those three boys stare
at me when I am having a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich. “Pure”
and “Delicious” looked friendly
enough, but I don’t quite trust that
“Fresh” kid. He looks mischievous,
like he’s just pulled a prank on me.
Velvet was and is a Jewish Detroit
original. Invented and produced
in the city for many years, it is a
product that made its way into
thousands, if not millions, of
homes in Michigan. Long before
the famous “Choosey Mothers
Choose Jif” television commercial,
Velvet was the peanut butter of
choice for many “choosey” mothers
in Metro Detroit. Just search for
“Velvet Peanut Butter” in the
William Davidson Digital Archive
of Jewish Detroit History, and my
point will be proven.
One cannot write about Velvet
without writing about Paul
Zuckerman. Born in Istanbul in
1912, he grew up in Detroit during
the Great Depression of the 1930s
and is an outstanding example of
a Jewish immigrant success story.
Zuckerman worked various jobs in
the city, including driving a truck,
and working as a manager and
buyer for a food wholesaler. He
was also a born entrepreneur, and
he made it his mission to make a
better peanut butter.
In 1944, Zuckerman introduced
a “homogenized” peanut butter,
trademarked with “Fresh. Pure.
Delicious,” as personified by
the three freckled-faced kids
on Velvet’s label. He began his
enterprise by selling jars and cases
of Velvet from the trunk of his car.
Velvet was a huge success.
Zuckerman became a wealthy man
and was also one of Jewish Detroit’s
great communal leaders. Nearly
1,200 pages in the Archive mention
Zuckerman — who was nicknamed
the “Peanut Butter King” — and
his wife, Helen, and their support
for hundreds of good causes in
Michigan and Israel.
The first reason for revisiting the
story of Velvet was the local news
from Dec. 1. Several publications
in Detroit ran a story about Mark
Reith, a native Detroiter, founder of
Downtown’s Atwater Brewery and
a lover of Velvet Peanut Butter. He
purchased the 90-year-old brand
and is planning to bring Velvet
Peanut Butter production back to
the city. Mazel tov!
The second reason is very
personal. With this column, you
will find an image of 6-month old
Eva, my newest grandniece. What
does she go nuts over? Peanut
butter! From her first-taste, Eva
was a peanut butter connoisseur.
When I visit her in Portland,
Oregon, next month, you can be
sure that I’ll bring her a delicacy
from Detroit: Velvet!
Yes, Velvet is a great Detroit
tradition (although I’m still not
sure about that “Fresh” kid). I am
happy to see that Mark Reith is
bringing the best peanut butter —
ever! — home to Detroit. I wish
him great luck. May Velvet Peanut
Butter forever grace our PBJs.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN
archives, available for free at
thejewishnews.com.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair
My grandniece
and peanut
butter-lover,
Eva.