BUTTER is uniformly, and borderline unanimously, taken for granted. It is, I guess, ‘common’… that simple yellow block in every ones refrigerator. It must be pretty basic and elemental, right? Wrong.

Did you know that butter is one of the oldest man-made edibles? To follow it through time gives the sense that butter’s history is our history.

In the 20th century butter unfortunately fell victim to the industrial mass-produced syndrome. The motto became conformity and consistency, and defaced of any unique characteristics. The result reflected the technology of mega-producers rather than nature and terroir.

Although all butter is made in essentially the same way as it always has – from churning milk fat – each batch is potentially very unique and distinguishable via the co-mingling of three living variables: man, plant, and beast. This trio changes dramatically from place to place and time to time. It carries this identity with it… kind of like a message in a bottle. Each field, each udder, each churn has a different story.

Fast forward… and thankfully the 21st century has thrown food techno-innovations in reverse as the demand for ‘simple and pure and real’ surfaces. At La Jolie we have decided that the time is right to bring in a selection of butter from local and international sources that lean to this philosophy. The appreciation for such is more than evident among our cheese-loving customers. We hope to surprise you with a glorious realization of the beauty of our new and most distinguished addition:   BUTTER!

PS. Stay tuned for next months blog: BUTTER II – “Sweet vs Cultured”