TASTE TEST
As The World Churns
COMPARING UNSALTED BUTTERS by Kipp Whittaker
U
sed for spreading, cooking and baking, butter is a magical hunk of dairy worthy of examination. So we gathered some tasters together armed with little more than a loaf of white bread and a knife to figure out if we could blindly distinguish the differences in quality and flavor between the most commonly found butters in Beijing. President (RMB 34.90, 200g) “This one tastes more cheesy and a little sour, but it’s legit and very cream heavy.” “For the most part, it’s satisfying and better than the others but not amazing.” “Not a very sweet butter and a little bit dry, but still more character than the others.” “Another quality choice. I would love to spread this on some of my granny’s biscuits, and watch the hummingbird feeder on a cool summer night.” “Worthy of a captain’s dinner on a second-tier cruise ship, but not quite rich enough for a banquet at the Waldorf Astoria.”
Westgold (RMB 26.80, 250g) “This one is really bland and oily, probably not suitable for table use.” “Comparable to the cheap stuff they serve at roadside greasy spoons.”
photoS: JOEY GUO and sui
“The taste is a little metallic. Too much might cause Alzheimer’s, but probably not until you’ve had about five heart attacks from only eating butter.” “Only use it on something you don’t care about like frozen waffles, popcorn, or things you feed your kids. Keep this far away from that scone you’ve been saving.“
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April 2014