History of Butter

HISTORY OF BUTTER

This is an extract from my beautiful 1960 edition of "New Larousse Gastronomique".

Butter is fatty substances extracted from the milk of mammals, known and used as food by man. The origin of butter goes back to the earlt nomaedic people who used to milk goats, cows, ewes, mares,
she-assess and she-camles to prepare it.

The Aryans brought butter to the inhabitants of India, who soon considered it sacred food.

The Hewbrews used butter as a medicine as well as a food. Abraham offered butter, a symbolic food, to three men who came to his tent in the plains of Mamre. In his proverbs Solomon says: 'Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter....'

The Scythians also had butter, and broought it to the Greeks, and its use spread throughout the civilised world.

People loving some southern countries, like the Romans, used oil much more than butter in their cooking. This preference still persits in certain parts of the south of France, mainly in Provence, where oil plays a principal part in all dishes.

Preparation of Butter: In their emulsive state, the fatty globules of milk are relatively stable, but when the liquid is left to stand, they rise to the surface in the form of cream. Once agitated (in what contstitutes the churning operation) the fatty globules agglutinate into a compact mass called butter.

Next week: Sugar