AUTHENTIC BUTTER A SOURCE OF PLEASURE
White, yellow, tender, smooth, soft, flavored, salted… Butter takes many forms, textures, colors and flavors. How can you tell the difference and how do you choose the best one?
FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHAT IS BUTTER?
Butter is the milk fat obtained by beating the cream pulled from milk. It consists, according to the regulations, of a minimum of 82 % of fats of dairy origin and of a maximum of 16 % of water in the form of droplets.
NOT ALL BUTTER ARE CREATED EQUAL
The best butter takes time to make. In Europe, the process of making butter is comprised of seven stages from milking, to the dairy to the packaging. Above all, it is necessary to respect the time of maturation, of churning, of kneading. The time spent is what gives added value to the product: the taste, the aroma, the texture.
So of course you will have understood: origin is one of the most important factors when choosing butter. European butter is an entirely natural product in its pure state. Making 1kg of butter requires 22 liters of milk. And that’s it! By law, in France, only salt can then be added, to obtain a salted butter. It has been made the same way for thousands of years and is still as smooth, soft, and delicious as it always has been. Even through the ages, it has remained a natural and traditional product, an emblem of European agriculture and gastronomic cultures. Embedded in regional products and ancestral expertise, it is the benchmark product of pleasure and gastronomy.
BUTTER: COOK IT OR SPREAD IT!
Butter is a food, much more than a mere ingredient, and it reveals numerous flavors. It fits into elaborate dishes and simple recipes alike. Nowadays, we readily place it at the table, at the forefront, as we would do a noble product. Butter, an essential ingredient for new culinary trends, is an ever-renewed source of inspiration.
BUTTER, OIL, MARGARINE: WHICH ONE HAS THE HIGHEST FAT CONTENT?
Butter and margarine have the same fat content: 82%. Butter is animal-derived, from cow’s milk; and margarine is from vegetable origin, from sunflower seeds. However, oil (regardless of its type or origin) has a 100% fat content.
WHITE BUTTER, YELLOW BUTTER, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Be it yellow or white, butter contains 82% of fat. The yellow color is the result of beta-carotene, which is naturally found in milk and transforms into vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene is found in grass fed cows: the more grass a cow eats, the more likely the butter will be yellow in colour. Consequently, butter is stronger in colour during spring, as cows eat fresh grass. Summer butter is also richer in vitamin D: it is synthesized by the cow when it is exposed to the sun, which in turn is found in the milk and the butter. In Europe, cows eat grass in the meadow, that’s why you can find both white and yellow European butter!
COOKING WITH BUTTER IS A MAJOR BASIS OF EUROPEAN CULINARY HISTORY
More than 95% of chefs in France and Europe say that butter is essential for cooking and baking, especially for its flavor. Its malleable texture enables it to create audacious fantasies. This is why it is now widely used in cutting edge and refined dishes. But, above all, this aroma capturer has tickled the imagination of chefs, who create unusual, sophisticated recipes to surprise audiences of consumers who are becoming increasingly numerous and demanding. According to Eric Trochon, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2011, “Butter is an incredible holder of aromas, the buttery note prolongs the taste of food in the mouth. It ennobles the simplest products and provides that little «French twist» which is essential for all other preparations.”
THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF EUROPEAN BUTTER. AND A DASH OF EXPERTISE
Every chef has his own tips and secrets to use it wisely and in the right way. Above all, they recommend always choosing high quality butter containing 82% fat and, in particular, to avoid substitute products such as vegetable fats and other blends. Using European butter ensures this high quality. Cooking with butter requires managing it as a raw material. In the same way as any other product, it has to be respected to preserve its qualities. Not overcooking it, not adding too much, to obtain the most flavorful dish, which must never leave an impression of fattiness or heaviness.
BUTTER IN MIDDLE EASTERN FLAVORS? WHAT A GOOD IDEA!
Cuisine is in perpetual movement. Worldwide, chefs are rewriting the traditional codes for more creative cooking. The secret to achieving a modern approach? Using adaptable products like European butter! Chef Mohanad Alshamali, from the UAE, told us: “Butter is a delicate product, it is important not to overheat it. That’s why I use a torch or salamander when incorporating butter into my recipes, which reveals all the flavor without the risk of overcooking.”