Le Beurre: Why Butter is Better in France
There’s no going back once you’ve experienced the tender melt of cultured-cream french butter on the tip of your tongue. But have you ever wondered: what exactly makes this ubiquitous ingredient so good there?
The main difference between french butter and butter from the rest of the world is that french butter has a higher percentage of fat than other butters. Other butters average 80 percent fat, while french standards hover around 85 and 87 percent, with the legal french minimum being 82 percent. It’s not a huge difference – we’re talking 5 to 7 percent – but it’s enough to give french butter a deeper, richer flavor than its foreign counterpart.
At French Sweet, one of our secret is that we only use French Butter in our cakes and croissants.
Chef tips:
When choosing butter, we suggest pressing lightly to assess the firmness. You want your butter to be tender, even when it’s cold. It should stay unctuous even in the fridge.
