Omnivore - Mouthful: Butter
Jennifer Zyman helps you navigate the tricky world of fancy butters.
Because there are so many fancy butters on the market, deciding which brand to splurge on is incredibly difficult — and costly.
I assembled five tasters, including myself, for a blind taste test. The butters were chosen randomly based on availability from local stores such as Publix, Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Star Provisions.
All butters were served at room temperature. We started with rolls, but eventually switched to our fingers since the bread got in the way.
Plugrá (Unsalted) $2.99/pound. This butter is a “European-style” butter made by Keller's Creamery in Texas. It had the creamiest mouthfeel of the bunch. One person remarked it tasted “like butter should taste.” It’s also one of the cheapest on our list and available at most grocery stores. www.kellerscreamery.com.
Meyenberg Goat Milk Butter $7.40/8 oz. The snow-white color of this butter had some of my tasters a bit wary. The goat milk butter — made in Turlock, Calif. — has won four first-place awards at the American Cheese Society’s annual cheese competition. While made with goat milk, the Meyenberg is clean rather than barnyardy. Our tasters called it “cheese-like” and “pleasantly fatty.” www.meyenberg.com.
(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)