Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

The name comes from the Greek words for groundnut, butter, and fear. Peanut butter is very thick and sticky because it is a non-Newtonian fluid. This means its thickness changes when you apply pressure to it. It has a high viscosity, which measures how much a liquid resists flowing. This makes it cling to the palate, which is the roof of the mouth.Marcellus Gilmore Edson patented peanut butter in 1884. Later, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg used it as a soft protein source for people who could not chew. For someone with this phobia, the sticky feeling causes a sensation called pseudodysphagia. This is the false feeling of being unable to swallow. The brain treats the sticky food as a blockage in the airway.The fear is hard to stop because water does not easily wash peanut butter away. Doctors treat this condition with exposure therapy. Patients slowly get used to the food by looking at it or smelling it before tasting it. This helps the brain learn that the sticky feeling is not a real danger. This phobia shows how the physical traits of food can cause strong emotional reactions.