The U.S. Is Sitting on a Mountain of Cheese
- Thread starter OntarioVanMan
- Start date
Time for another round of the Great American Cheese Giveaway. I read the article and found this little tidbit: imports of EU butter doubled last year and rose 17 percent for cheese, Wow! The U.S. imports of EU butter doubled last year but compared to what! A bit further in the article was a chart showing the EU exported 2.075 tonnes (metric tons) of butter to the U.S. in 2015. According to Statista, the U.S. was projected to consume 727,000 metric tons (tonnes) of butter in 2015. The 2.075 tonnes of butter the EU exported is rather insignificant compared to U.S. butter consumption.
Again!
The Millennials have discovered European butter, because it, like Millennials, is über pretentious. They shop at Whole Foods, Sephora, Trader Joe's, use Axe personal care products, only drink specialty coffees, and are gluten-free without even knowing why.
European butter is, by and large, better butter. US butter is 80% fat minimum (but usually 81%) and European butter is 82% fat minimum, usually 85% or better (the rest being milk solids and water). That small percentage is a difference maker. European butter is much better for baking, and for spreading when you want the flavor to shine. The best butter from a chef's standpoint is Beurre d'Echire from France, because it's 84% fat and is also made with creme fraiche which gives is a slight sour tang combined with the sweet fresh cream. When made with creme fraiche, or fermented butter, it is known as cultured butter. In the US and UK, rather than cultured butter, sweet creme butter dominates.
But Land O' Lakes has introduced its Ultra Creamy Butter, with 83 percent butterfat, and Keller makes Pluga (also sold as European Style Butter) at 82% butterfat. The Egg Farm Dairy in Peekskill, N.Y., and the Vermont Butter and Cheese Company in Websterville, Vt., make butter with 86 percent butterfat using methods that mirror Echire's.
From the article.....
USDA statistics show cheese inventories at the end of March were the highest for the date since 1984,....
If somebody lowers the inventory, can we ask who cut the cheese? Lol lol lol!
USDA statistics show cheese inventories at the end of March were the highest for the date since 1984,....
If somebody lowers the inventory, can we ask who cut the cheese? Lol lol lol!