I had an early morning meeting and as I finished earlier than expected I went to the supermarket and it was blissfully empty.
Empty enough to be able to take pictures without people in front of the goods but also so people wouldn't think I was nuts taking pictures of butter.
I love butter.
I absolutely adore it.
My childhood was when margarine was meant to be healthier so there was no butter in the house.
Plus I grew up in Korea before globalisation so butter wasn't really stocked readily nor was it considered a staple for every household.
But I always choose butter.
It tastes better and while the medical studies are not yet unanimous, it seems it is most likely healthier too - in doses.
My aunt though has been prescribed by her doctor to have these spreads and she says her cholesterol has gone down so obviously you must take advise from medical professionals.
I remember the days when you used to have salted or unsalted.
Those were NOT the good old days of butter.
My grandmother even in the 80's would always note than her own grandmother would have loved supermarket shopping and would have marvelled at the choice and range of food.
That is exactly how I feel when I see the butter section these days.
While we are inundated with so much choice and
I tend to complain about short circuiting the brain which I have discussed in this post I wrote years ago.
President slightly salted was at one time considered revolutionary!
Organic was only procured at farmer's markets.
Goose fat was only available at the proper delicatessen.
This aisle is the best end result of capitalism.
I would prefer my own dairy cows and churn my own butter in an ideal world.
But I have different butters for different purposes.
There is one butter that is not shown here that I used to use a lot on toast.
It was a white, Italian, alpine butter that was so delicate that even for my chilli scorched and undertasting palette, I would enjoy it on its own on toast.
Now I get really poncy and butter whacky.
I have President salted with jam on toast.
I have the really salty Normandy unpasteurised butter with honey on toast.
I cook veggies in Ghee which is a clarified butter.
I add regular butter to steak or chicken at the end in the pan for extra flavour.
I do try and initially use coconut oil for health benefits but find that goats butter does nothing for me and distracts my tastebuds.
Goose fat if I am doing proper roast potatoes.
But I have no opinion on baking butter as I don't bake.
Although it seems people do use Anchor or Countrylife for that specific purpose.
I think the market stock Echire butter for people to buy for display at dinner parties but personally I think standards of butter has improved so much in the U.K. that unless you have an overtasting and very delicate palette then it might not be worth the money.
I used to hate anything "spreadable" as it seemed unnatural and
I was sure they must have hydrogenated the butter but it seems technology has advanced and I buy the President for my husband who couldn't stand butter for the reason it would always be the wrong temperature to spread on bread.
You may have a completely different butter range where you live of course!
But this is a snippet of the butter aisle in my local supermarket for those of you who like little snippets of ordinary life.
Are you butter, margarine, coconut oil or "other"?
