First of all, peanut butter (or at least a kind of peanut butter) is important in Thai cooking. And peanuts are used in Chinese cookery.
Personally, I think the ludicrous dislike of peanut butter in Europe is based on dim-witted anti-Americanism. Ew! It’s so sweet! And it has this DISGUSTING texture1 I read it all day long on the British food blogs & newspapers. As if Nutella wasn’t sweet which everyone gobbles down like hogs. But more and more some British cooks are admitting to liking it - just as they are now admitting they like Oreos on occasion.
I don’t think the British have any room to talk about bad food.
It is unnecessarily high in sugar.
The 25% reduced sugar and fat peanut butter still tastes great.
In Thailand, I used to eat 2 bowls of noodles almost every day for lunch. I put in hot pepper in vinegar and a couple heaping tablespoons of finely crushed peanuts.
My wife makes a dipping sauce with soy sauce, vinegar, crushed peanuts, hot pepper and green onions/shallots. Very good.
Massaman Curry uses peanut butter and whole peanuts. As you say, Thai cooking. Satay sauce, pad Thai use peanut butter. Whole peanuts in stir fry.
People who love Marmite and Vegemite have no place to criticize any food. Canned baked beans on toasted white bread for breakfast? They have a log in their eye, IMO.
I think it’s just childhood conditioning. OTOH, we love some recipes that involve sauteing onions in peanut butter, seasoned with cayenne and finishing with lime juice. Great on noodles or with rice. I usually add leftover chicken to the sauce. Tastes great, but there is a certain point in the process where it smells terrible. Thankfully, that passes.