Salted vs. Unsalted: What defines French butter?
The Official Standard
In France, according to the Larousse dictionary, butter is "a fatty food obtained from the cream of cow's milk." To be called butter, it must contain at least 82% milk fat. It is produced by churning (barattage), a process that separates the cream from the buttermilk. Its deep yellow hue is entirely natural, peaking in the spring when cows graze on fresh, beta-carotene-rich grass.
The Great Debate: Why is Breton butter salted?
It’s not just about taste—it’s about history and taxes! Unsalted butter (beurre doux) has long been the pride of Normandy. However, salted butter (beurre salé) is the undisputed king of Brittany.
The Gabelle Factor: Until the French Revolution, the "gabelle" was a heavy, mandatory tax on salt. Since Brittany was a "State Country," it was exempt. Bretons could use salt freely and cheaply.
Preservation: Beyond the tax, salt served as a vital natural preservative. Before refrigeration, saturating butter with salt prevented it from turning rancid, allowing farmers to store it through the winter or take it on long sea voyages. This practical necessity became a culinary identity: in Brittany, serving unsalted butter is still considered a local faux pas!
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France’s World-Class Butter Production
France is Europe's 2nd largest butter producer, producing 354,000 tonnes every year. And it has to be said that the French eat a lot of butter! 8 kg per capita per year. To produce butter you need a lot of milk: 21 litres of milk to make 1 kg of butter. Fortunately, France produces a lot of milk.
Butter: essential for breakfast or a snack with a good baguette. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: belchonock via depositphotos.com
The "Crème de la Crème": France’s 3 AOP Butters
Many French regions produce butter, but only three have a Protected Designation of Origin (A .O.P.) guaranteeing the origin and production conditions of the butter.
Isigny Butter (Normandy):
There's Isigny butter (Manche / Normandy) made between the Cotentin and Calvados regions, around the Bay of Veys. It already amazed Parisians in the 16th century, which just goes to show how famous it is. It is often very yellow and quite supple. It comes in mild and semi-salted varieties.
Charentes-Poitou Butter:
Charentes-Poitou A.O.P. butter is made in the former Poitou-Charentes region, in Vendée and Haue Vienne. It is known for its great flavour, thanks to the fact that the cream is left to rest for 12 hours after pasteurisation.
Bresse Butter:
Finally, there is Bresse butter, made in the Bresse region (Ain and Saône-et-loire departments). It is made from special milk, as the cows' diet is closely monitored.
Cows in a field in Normandy. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: Jérôme Prod'homme (c)
Our Artisan Favorite: Bordier Butter
In Saint-Malo, Jean-Yves Bordier produces world-renowned butter that is still kneaded by hand. Salted "on the fly" with sea salt, it is also famous for original infusions like seaweed, Espelette pepper, or Yuzu.
Simply enjoy on a slice of farmhouse bread.
Butter in the French Kitchen
It is an essential ingredient in many French dishes. For example, in puff pastry, which is made with butter to help it rise. It's also found in croissants and pains au chocolat (or chocolatines in the South West of France). It is essential for a French snack or breakfast with a slice of bread and even a little jam on top. Butter is always found in the famous "Jambon-beurre", the French snack par excellence. Chic restaurants are beginning to work with butter and offer different variations. Smoked butter, for example, is now available.
You can't imagine making a delicious croissant without butter! Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: Depositphotos.
History of butter: from ancient times to the present day
Why the Romans disliked butter
The Romans did not like butter at all, preferring olive oil and using butter... as a beauty cream! Their dislike of butter was contagious for a long time, and the Gallo-Romans were not fans of butter either. It was in the Middle Ages that butter began to gain popularity in regions where there were the most cows. For a long time, it was reserved for the wealthiest people because cows, and therefore butter, were rare.
The churn and the butter tower in Rouen
A woman from Normandy prepares butter using a churn. By churning the milk, the cream is separated from the whey and butter is made. Image selected by monsieurdefrance.Com; deposithotos.com
It was in Normandy that the Normandy butter churn was invented to increase yield and mix the cream better, thus enabling greater production. It must be said that Normandy is an old butter-producing region. The highest tower of Rouen Cathedral is called "the butter tower" (1485). Not that it is made of butter, of course, but it was paid for by a kind of fine paid by the faithful to the Church for the right to eat butter during Lent, the 40 days before Easter during which nothing fatty or meaty was to be eaten. Bourges, in the Berry region of the Centre-Val de Loire, also has a butter tower as a result of the same tax. The French have been food lovers for a long time!
The famous butter tower of Rouen Cathedral. Photo selected by monsieurdefrance.com: Image by Nicolas DEBRAY from Pixabay.
And the Bretons add salt to it.
In the past, butter did not keep well if it was not salted. This explains why not all regions of France are fans of butter. Until 1789, people had to pay the "gabelle": a mandatory tax on salt, which was very expensive. People therefore preferred lard, olive oil, or cream, which did not require salt. In Brittany, salt was not taxed at all, and the numerous salt marshes allowed for large quantities to be produced at a lower cost. It was therefore quite logical that the Bretons began to salt their butter. This is one of the region's great specialties, and you will very rarely find unsalted butter on a Breton table.
Salt marsh in Guérande, Brittany. Photo selected by monsieurdefrance.com: joachimopelka via depositphotos.com
The 19th century made it fashionable.
Description of butter in the 18th-century culinary work "Le Canaméliste français" by Joseph GILLIET. Photo selected by monsieurdefrance.com: screenshot from gallica.fr
It was at the end of the 18th century that butter really made its mark on French cuisine. Its arrival in large cities was facilitated by improvements in transportation. That said, as early as the 17th century, Parisians loved butter from Vanves or Chartres, but in the 18th century, the capital also discovered butter from Normandy. At that time, the butter dish was invented, which was placed on the table to keep the butter cool. In the 19th century, it became customary to place a small bowl of bread with a little butter next to the main plate at fancy dinners.
The invention of margarine under Napoleon III
That said, butter remained an expensive product at the same time that Emperor Napoleon III launched a competition to find a cheaper alternative to butter. This led to the creation of margarine, invented by pharmacist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès.
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About French Butter
Why is French butter better than regular butter?
French butter stands out due to its higher butterfat content (minimum 82% vs. 80% in the US) and its traditional culturing process. By allowing the cream to ferment before churning, French butter develops a richer, tangy flavor and a more plastic texture, which is the secret to perfectly flaky croissants and pastries.
Why is butter from Brittany always salted?
The tradition of salted butter in Brittany is rooted in history and taxes. During the Middle Ages, most of France paid the "gabelle," a heavy tax on salt. However, Brittany was exempt, making salt affordable for everyone. Beyond the cost, salt acted as a vital natural preservative before refrigeration, allowing Breton farmers to keep their butter fresh for longer.
What is the difference between "Doux," "Demi-Sel," and "Sel"?
The labels indicate the amount of salt added after the churning process:
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Beurre Doux (Unsalted): No salt added. Pure, creamy, and preferred for baking.
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Beurre Demi-Sel (Semi-salted): Between 0.5% and 3% salt. The perfect "all-purpose" table butter.
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Beurre Salé (Salted): Over 3% salt, often featuring crunchy sea salt crystals (fleur de sel).
Can I use salted butter for baking French recipes?
While you can use it, French pastry chefs almost exclusively use unsalted butter (beurre doux). This allows for total control over the salt levels in delicate recipes like macarons or soufflés. If you only have salted butter, simply reduce the added salt in your recipe by about 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter.
Why is French butter so yellow?
The deep yellow color is 100% natural. It comes from the high levels of beta-carotene found in the fresh grass that French cows graze on. The color is most intense in the spring and summer when the pastures are lush and green.
Can you freeze high-quality French butter?
Yes! Butter freezes remarkably well. You can store both salted and unsalted butter in the freezer for up to 6 months. To maintain its delicate aroma, wrap it tightly in parchment paper followed by an airtight freezer bag to prevent it from absorbing other food scents.
Jérôme Prod'homme Specialist in French heritage, gastronomy, and tourism. Find all my discoveries at monsieur-de-france.com.
