Bread, Butter and Jam

Bread, butter and jam have always shared a complex and important relationship with one another.

From The Guide:

Once a bread of the proper distinction is secured, it is recommended to try all three possible combinations of bread, butter and jam assemblage. Naturally, it is assumed one has already tasted of just the bread alone, back in the beginning of this adventure, and that this is how one came to know it was of the proper caliber, and worth bringing home at all. First, one should try the bread with only butter. Then with only jam. Then try all three bread, butter and jam together. Pay close attention to how each functions both alone and in concert. You should conclude that bread alone, bread with butter, and bread, butter and jam together are all winning strategies. You should recognize too that bread and jam alone is the most irksome combination. Why should bread with jam be less good than bread alone? It is one of the great unexplained mysteries.*

* Through modern science, we now know the answer: butter acts as a mediator between your delicate taste buds and the astringent, tart qualities of the jam. When you imagine eating bread with jam and butter, you can almost see the smooth little butter particles befriending jam particle before they walk hand-in-hand into your taste buds. Science is beautiful.