Butter is the fatty part of milk, separated from the buttermilk through a phase-inversion
process, derived from cream. The result of the process is an emulsion, mainly of water,
in which sugars and proteins are dissolved, within the fat, in whose fluid phase they
partially crystallize. It is a substance with a softening point close to room temperature
(32-35°C), with a solid appearance and soft consistency, and a color ranging from milky
white to deep yellow. It is obtained from the lipidic part of the milk of various animals
through inversion of the cream and possible fermentation, in the continental European
tradition, or through salting, in Anglo-Saxon countries. It is used as a condiment and in
cooking, similarly to vegetable oils and lard. Beyond food use, it has also found use as an
ingredient in cosmetics, medicines and lubricants.
In temperate climates, butter is soft at room temperature; thanks to a melting point
between 28 and 33°C, it melts easily. It is usually pale yellow and can range from deep
yellow to almost white. Broadly speaking, in the natural product and in products derived
from the milk of freshly fed animals, it is white in winter and more yellow in summer, due
to the different diet of dairy animals, a source of natural carotenoids. The yellow color
can also be the consequence of alterations, ranging from rancidity to an eventual increase
in bacterial load acquired due to a relatively long period of time elapsed between milking
and churning; it can also be artificially colored with carotene and other substances. The
white color, on the other hand, can be regained through industrial remelting processes.
According to Italian law (l. 202/1983), the unqualified denomination "butter" is reserved
for the product obtained from cream derived from cow's milk and the product obtained from
cow's milk whey, and may not contain other added fats; as noted above, however, varieties
of butter from other origins do exist. Buffalo butter (Bubalus bubalis), for example, is a
typical product from Campania, while yak butter (Bos grunniens) is a traditional ingredient
in Tibetan dishes and drinks, such as tsampa, and is added to tea to make the country's main
beverage, as is also the case in Bhutan, where the famous butter tea originates.
(source: Wikipedia)
(selection 2026)