How Did Butter Spread Across the World?
- Darlene P. Campos
- 10 hours ago
- 7 min read
Butter, a rich ingredient best known for its flavor, can be found in various cuisines. The high fat content adds a touch to nearly every dish or dessert. But there was a time in history when butter was not a part of preparing delicious food. It is hard to imagine what current recipes would taste like without butter. According to the book Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova, butter was discovered roughly 10,000 years ago by nomadic people in ancient Africa. Furthermore, a limestone tablet from 4,500 years ago shows the early days of butter making. Humans have been eating butter for thousands of years, but how did butter become widespread?
Ancient Romans preferred olive oil in their cuisine, but history shows they used butter in cosmetics, such as lip balms, and for medical purposes, like applying butter to wounds, similar to today’s antibiotic creams. Additionally, the Romans viewed butter as “barbarian” food enjoyed by their enemies and avoided it in their cooking. Before the Romans, the Sumerians of Mesopotamia found butter so appealing that they offered the creamy gold to their harvest goddess. As human civilizations continued, split opinions on butter would as well.
Recipes from medieval Europe mention butter, but not often. By the 15th century, butter usage began surfacing in Italian recipes, in contrast to ancient Rome’s aversion. Little by little, butter gained popularity in everyday meals. However, butter found itself among whispers of controversy and was soon threatened by a major force. Butter’s debate was not about its high fat content or its potential for negative health side effects, but rather something unique: was it holy?
The Catholic Church, a key influence in historical Europe, enacted fast days, including the most well-known 40-day Lent fast. The fast days prohibited the consumption of animal products. The fast days, in total, were about six months long. For Catholics living in the Mediterranean, this was not an issue as their cuisine still favored oil. But for Catholics residing in Germany and France, this prohibition affected butter. Germany and France were home to many dairy farms, and of course, dairy farms produced butter for their families and for income. A ban on animal products meant no meat, no eggs, and no dairy, which left little else to eat for half of a year. Catholic families with money to spend had a solution called the butter tax. This meant that for a certain price, families or even regions were allowed to continue eating butter during the fast days as long as a tax was paid. In fact, this arrangement worked in France so well that the Rouen Cathedral in Normandy has a “butter tower,” an ornate tower funded by the butter tax. In 1491, Queen Anne of France wrote to the Vatican for permission to eat butter since Brittany, the French region in which she lived, did not have oil available. Permission was granted, and all inhabitants of Brittany were allowed to savor butter during fast days thanks to her plea.
On the other hand, for those who could not afford the butter tax, like Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, this sparked outrage. Of the butter ban, Martin Luther wrote in 1520, “For at Rome they themselves laugh at the fasts, making us foreigners eat the oil with which they would not grease their shoes, and afterwards selling us liberty to eat butter and all sorts of other things … thinking it is a greater sin to eat butter is a greater sin than to lie, to swear, or even to live unchastely.” Butter proved to be so treasured that the Protestant Reformation nullified its ban, and people joined the Protestant movement for the freedom to enjoy butter year-round. As a result, the Catholic Church eventually decided that since butter does not taste like meat, it was acceptable for the fast days and remains permitted to this day.
When the Enlightenment Period kicked off in the late 17th century, butter quickly became a component of this age of innovation. The Enlightenment Period brought forth the culture of using utensils. Like butter, utensils have a long history, but sometimes it can take years or even centuries for new concepts to take hold. Before the Enlightenment Period, Europeans usually ate with their hands. When utensils became commonplace, so did the idea of having exquisite utensils to show off to guests. Queen Marie Antoinette of France, for example, had a “pleasure dairy farm” built for her by her husband, King Louis XVI. The farm contained elegant kitchen items such as porcelain milk pails, spoons, and cream pans. Among the pleasure foods served were ice cream, cheese, and the guest of honor: butter. Having butter readily available became a status symbol, especially in aristocratic settings, and this was enough for butter to make a clear statement. It was officially on the table and here to stay. Soon enough, for most Europeans, butter became the preferred fat ingredient rather than oil.
Once Europeans began moving to North America, butter was part of the colonial diet. In the colonial period, butter was made by women using butter churns, which allowed for greater amounts to be produced. Making butter proved to be strenuous work. There were butter churning songs to pass the time, such as this one from colonial North Carolina: “Come, butter, come. Come, butter, come. Cows in the pasture, churn a little faster. Come, butter, come.” Families would spend hours creating the smooth mixture, but without long-term refrigeration, the raw materials needed, like milk and cream, spoiled quickly, often leading to wasted hours of labor. Despite these challenges, butter remained a crucial ingredient in the colonial kitchen. Ways to dispel “witches” from butter were necessary knowledge among colonists. In the book Popular Beliefs and Superstitions from North Carolina by Wayland D. Hand, one of the methods to prevent bewitched butter was to “put a horseshoe in the fire if your butter won’t come and gather. This kills the witches.” Another superstition was to “get the ugliest person you know to look into the cream jar and it will turn so you can churn it.” As the colonies approached the American Revolution years, the Butter Rebellion sparked at Harvard University in 1766, in which students protested about the quality of food they were served in the dining hall. Their rallying cry was composed of a phrase that honored butter: “Behold, our butter stinketh! Give us, therefore, butter that stinketh not!” This phrase was coined by Asa Dunbar, the grandfather of author Henry David Thoreau. Dunbar was punished for insubordination, but the fact that his phrase was so effective shows just how important butter was in colonial society, even for the average college student.
Following the American Revolution, butter was the fifth most valuable product in the United States by 1840. Butter was distributed by farms to nearby markets, which worked well, but as the country became more industrialized, a way to transport butter more efficiently was desperately needed. Ironically, butter making, once seen as “women’s work,” became “men’s work” due to the heavy machinery needed to work mechanical butter churns. When refrigeration appeared by the mid-1800s, this meant even greater opportunities for butter storage and transport. Refrigerated train cars allowed butter to be shipped across the country, even in the summer months. By the end of the 19th century, canned butter was another preservation option, especially in remote areas and for military consumption. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, butter was more expensive than alternatives like margarine, causing Americans to scramble for alternatives like margarine. When the United States entered World War II, butter seemed to be in danger. With an economic crisis just behind them and then a war, rationing practices had to be put in place for American families, and these food limits included butter. Margarine was cheaper during World War II, but people still wanted butter for their bread. Thus, American families opted for making butter at home, like their ancestors did. Following World War II and the food rationing days, store-bought butter returned to American households.
During the diet fads of the 1970s and 1980s, butter was seen as dangerous for optimal health, and eating margarine was encouraged. Once again, butter and margarine went into battle with each other. Low-fat, butter-free foods appeared on grocery store shelves, and for a time, butter was indeed the enemy, as the ancient Romans once believed. The famous margarine spread I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! appeared in 1981 and was an instant hit for the American diet. In spite of this, butter remains victorious. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), butter is now being eaten at levels higher than ever before. In 2023, the average American consumed nearly seven pounds of butter throughout the year. Milk and ice cream consumption dropped, showing how butter is still fundamental for the American diet. The activists of the Butter Rebellion of 1766 are smiling upon their descendants.
Internationally, the butter industry makes about 40 billion dollars, and by 2032, the estimated earnings are expected to be 58 billion. India is the world’s largest producer of butter, bringing almost seven metric tons of it to mouths across the globe. Statistically, India makes 58 percent of the world’s butter supply. Europe produces 17 percent, and the United States produces 8 percent. In today’s time, it is easier than ever to acquire butter. It is no longer under the critical eyes of the ancient Romans, discouraged by religious views, or exclusively for high-class families. It no longer takes extreme muscle power or hours of labor to make. Furthermore, it can now be stored for extended periods and enjoyed as often as desired. Butter has been and will certainly continue to be a vital piece of human history. With its pleasant taste and power to enhance the flavor of nearly every recipe, the availability of butter has made life much smoother.
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