Its superior flavor has everything to do with the cows and the way they are raised in Ireland. Compared to the majority of dairy cows in the United States, Kerrygold cows are hormone- and pesticide-free. They live out their lives munching on the nutrient-rich grass that imbues Ireland with its electric green color.
France's Bordier is often considered by many in the culinary world to be among the best butter brands on the market.
Usually butter is made from cow's milk, though goats, sheep and even yaks and buffaloes are used in some parts of the world. However, not all milk-producing animals can join the butter party – which is why you'll never get butter made from a camel.
New Zealand had the highest per capita consumption of butter worldwide in 2022.
Butter are the world's 330th most traded product. In 2021, the top exporters of Butter were New Zealand ($3.28B), Netherlands ($1.57B), Ireland ($1.42B), Germany ($776M), and Belgium ($723M).
“Steele County proclaims itself the “butter capital” of the world, a title it advertises into the 1920s. With 24 cooperative creameries among its 17,000 residents, it's the leading dairy county in the state.” Thank You for this southern Minnesota county, Lord!
French butter is indeed higher in fat than American butter – about 82 percent minimum, as opposed to the 80 percent required in the U.S. But in addition to being higher in fat, French butter is also cultured, a process whereby live active cultures are added to the cream before the butter is churned.
Yes, Norway, one of the richest countries in the world, ran out of butter! If you ask most Norwegians now, they'll tell you the story was blown out of proportion and that in actual fact it wasn't that big of a deal.
Khosrova traces butter's beginning back to ancient Africa, in 8000 B.C., when a herder making a journey with a sheepskin container of milk strapped to the back of one of his sheep found that the warm sheep's milk, jostled in travel, had curdled into something remarkably tasty.
“Grass-fed butter has the nutritional edge in that it offers more heart-healthy nutrients than regular butter in a less-processed product than margarine,” Malkani says. You can typically find grass-fed butter at the grocery store or natural foods market. Look for terms like “pasture” and “grass-fed” on the label.
What is the difference between French and Australian butter? For a start, the butterfat levels are different in French and Australian butter. In Australia butter has a requirement to have a minimum of 80% butterfat. In France the minimum is 82% and some European butters have as much as 84% butterfat.
The churning process is slightly different than here in the US, resulting in a creamier consistency. Many butter producers insist on exclusively grass-fed cows, which contributes to the richness in flavor and the deeper yellow color (this is natural, they do not add coloring).
That might not seem like a huge gap, but it's the key to what makes French butter a favorite among chefs and bakers. They know that more fat means less water which leads to more flavor. French butter is also cultured, lending it a tanginess and richer, deeper flavor profile.
The price of butter in Australia has been on the rise in recent years, due to a number of factors. The cost of production has increased, as the price of milk has risen and the cost of feed and other inputs has also gone up. The Australian dollar has also fallen in value, making imports more expensive.
If you've been fortunate enough to travel overseas you may have noticed that butter in other countries often has a lighter, white colour compared to here in New Zealand. The reason for this is what the cows are fed; grass fed cows produce a yellow butter.
The quality of butter is determined by the quality of the milk used to make it. With New Zealand's temperate climate, cows are outdoors grazing on pasture all year round, thus producing superior milk and consequently a butter with a fuller, creamier flavor.
A large proportion of exports are in the form of value-added products such as cheese, butter, ultra-heat treated milk and milk powders.
India, United States of America and Pakistan produce together more than 50 % of world's total butter globally.
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European Butter
The standards for the minimum amount of butterfat in butter are different in Europe and America. Abroad, the minimum is 82 percent; here, it's 80 percent; everywhere, it's lower for salted butter. So, whenever you use European butter, you're likely to have a richer dish.
There, chefs baste the meat with Devonshire Butter, like you would a turkey on Thanksgiving day. You don't have to babysit the meat on the grill like that to take the technique to the next level, though.
“In Australia and New Zealand, the cows are fed on pasture, so their milk contains a yellow-orange pigment called beta-carotene, which makes the butter yellow. In many other countries, especially Europe, the cows are fed on grain, so the colour of the butter is a pale, cream colour.”