A stick of butter is the starting point for so many recipes, from baked goods to burbling casseroles. With the many types of butter out there—cultured butter! Compound butter! Clarified butter!—you might be wondering, what is butter, really? Wonder no longer. We’re diving into how butter is made, the many types of butter you’ll find at the grocery store, and how to use them in cooking and baking.
So, uh, what is butter, exactly?
“Butter has been in existence since around 8,000 BC, an accident of agitated sheep’s milk stored in animal skin and tied to a moving horse,” writes Epi contributor Carina Finn Koeppicus. That original bareback agitation evolved into churning, the mixing method used to produce butter today.
Butter is a dairy product composed of three elements: butterfat, water, and milk solids. It’s made by churning milk or cream—typically from cows, though sometimes from other animals like goats, sheep, or buffalo—until the butterfat separates from the buttermilk. The result is a smooth, creamy spread ranging in color from white to deep yellow. The color of butter depends on multiple factors, such as time of year and the diet of the cows producing the milk. “Butter made with winter cream [from grass-fed cows] will generally have a paler color and a higher fat content,” says Koeppicus. Some brands add yellow food coloring to their butter to mimic the appearance of extra beta-carotene.
Depending on the temperature, butter can exist in various textural states—liquid, semisolid, or solid. The desired consistency depends on the intended use of the butter. At room temperature, the emulsion of fats and water is semisolid, resulting in the spreadable, softened butter often called for in cake or cookie recipes. Butter can be melted into a liquid (ideal for dense cakes like coffee cake), but it can also be refrigerated or even frozen into a solid block (necessary for flaky croissants, scones, or biscuits).
So many types of butter, so little time.
What does butter taste like?
Butter has a rich mouthfeel and a fairly neutral flavor. Depending on the brand, you might detect a slight sweetness or tang, and some subtle savoriness. Some types of butter, like cultured butter, have a stronger lactic, grassy flavor. When browned, the water evaporates and the milk solids caramelize, leading the butter to develop a deeply savory flavor and nutty aroma. Unlike some other dairy products, regular butter is very low in lactose—one tablespoon contains a near-negligible amount.
How to cook with butter:
Butter has a smoke point of around 350°, making it more likely to burn when exposed to high heat. Most cooks prefer to use oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil (400°–450°) or olive oil (390°–470°), for frying or sautéing, then add butter at the end of the cooking process for a rich finish. Still, butter is the starting point for countless sweet and savory dishes.
