Have you ever walked down the dairy aisle in the supermarket and wondered which product to pick from the ever-growing selection of butter and margarine?

Most people have, mostly because they are not aware of the differences between the two. While people refer to butter and margarine interchangeably, the two are different products. The primary factor that sets them apart is what they are made of.

Butter is a dairy product, produced by churning the cream derived from milk. The churning process separates the solids from the liquids. Butter may vary in colour from white to deep yellow, depending on the animal’s diet.

On the other hand, margarine is a product produced through a process known as hydrogenation, and contains ingredients such as vegetable oils, water, emulsifiers and milk solids. By law, butter must have a minimum fat content of 80 per cent, otherwise it is classified as ‘spread’. Butter is also a great source of vitamins and minerals, and contains beneficial fatty acids.

In the past few months, Benna launched a delicious Pure Butter, made from 100 per cent fresh Maltese cream originating from local cows’ milk. The milk is churned so that the solids are separated from the liquids to create a delicious pure butter with a taste and texture that set it apart from margarine.

Benna Butter can be bought either salted or unsalted. Both are made in the same way. Unsalted butter gives cooks complete control of the overall flavour of each recipe. On the other hand, salted butter is all-purpose and is widely used for spreading on toasted bread and dressing cooked meat and vegetables. Butter is widely used for baking, and many people prefer it to other types of fat due to its distinctive flavour which may complement better, sweet, baked goods.