Fans of hit show The Bear may remember the seemingly peculiar scene where Carmy, a Michelin star-winning chef and the show’s protagonist, makes himself a peanut butter and jelly after a full day of high-end cooking at his restaurant. The scene in which Carmy scarfs down the simple sandwich takes place late, after he has finished a long work day and closed the restaurant. So why would someone with the skills to make themselves an award-winning dish slap together a sandwich often associated with children? It’s the meal staple of the worker and has been for over a century.

When in 1917 a man named Paul Welch secured a patent for purèeing grapes and turning them into jelly, what was then called “Grapelade” became a hit with troops serving in World War I. Once they returned home from war, soldiers enjoyed spreading the substance on toast. Peanut butter, which was originally created as an easy to swallow source of protein for the elderly, was first brought to market in the 1880s. Julia Davis Chandler is credited with being the first to unite the two spreads together in 1901, but it wasn’t until World War II that the peanut butter and jelly combo really took off.

According to the National Peanut Board (NPB), soldiers already had a fondness for grape jelly and peanut butter as the latter was a high-protein, shelf-stable ingredient that was easily portable on long marches. Peanut butter and jelly on sliced bread became a mainstay in the diet of a soldier.

Over the years, the PB&J became a household norm with kids drawn to the sweetness and parents appreciative of how easy it is to make. That simplicity and quickness made the sandwich a go to for workers, especially those without the luxury of a refrigerator in an office break room. Like restaurant employees, those who work hard and fast, without a lull in which to sit down and enjoy a warm meal, often resort to the old standby.

Today, the PB&J appears on restaurant menus and cookie recipes. The NPB says 94 percent of Americans report having at least one jar of peanut butter in their pantry, indicating the PB&J isn’t going anywhere … except down the hatch.