IMAGE BY EILIV SONAS-ACERON VIA UNSPLASH
IMAGE BY WHITNEY WRIGHT VIA UNSPLASH
DAIRY
IT’S ALWAYS BETTER
WITH BUTTER
With its smooth texture that melts in your mouth, butter is a necessary item in any chef’s pantry. Noma Tsheleza explores the ins and outs of this unassuming yet vital ingredient.
F
inding the right type of butter can be challenging, just because the packaging says butter does not mean that you will be getting the creamy, soft and satisfying taste that makes it amazing. When shopping for butter, its best to look for one that comes from grass-fed cows. This means that the cow lived in a good environment, making for delicious, rich butter. When compared with grass-fed cows, grain fed cows, impacting the quality of the butter. Butter tastes great because of the fat content that it has, fats absorb flavour intensely. Butter also has a smooth mouthful, the temperature of our mouth melts the butter to create a palatable
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taste. An example of this is a cold pie made with oil versus one made with butter, the feeling on the roof of the mouth is more harsh if made with oil.
HISTORY WITH SOME INJUSTICE
Fat-free social culture and diets led to myths that all types of fat were bad and should be cut out. It was thought that butter caused high cholesterol, leading to heart attacks, weight gain and more. We were soon about to say goodbye to this much-bred and fulfilling dairy product. The busting of these claims has things back to how it used to be. Butter is the most natural fat, therefore making
it healthier to consume than margarines and spreads. Butter is a source of Vitamin A, D, K and E. Butter has omega 3 acids and aids the absorption of vitamins and minerals in vegetables. Clean eaters can confidently consume butter, as well as those seeking to lose weight. That said, a buyer needs to be aware of the different types of butter because some products are mixed with oil to make it softer. This is unhealthier than pure butter.
A CHEF’S TAKE
Most chefs prefer to cook with unsalted butter, leaving them with space to regulate their own salt in their dish.
