Readily available here in the UAE, Almarai butter is a tasty treat for those who can find it in their local stores!
Forgive the photography on this post. We just got stuck in!
Almarai is a big Saudi food conglomerate with a number of different brands under its umbrella. There's not much background on the company (in English?) so we just go by their butter.
Almarai Unsalted Butter Appreciation
Butter Break Down
Appreciation Date: 25/05/2020
Country of Origin: Saudi Arabia
Point of Procurement: Carrefour
Purchase State: Frozen
Price/100 g: AED 6.16 (More affordable at higher volume)
Milk: Cow, pasteurised
Salt Content: Unsalted
Ingredients: Cow's milk fat, bacterial culture.
Declared Possible Allergens: Cow's milk.
Company Website: https://www.almarai.com/en/brands/almarai/food/butter/
Butter Evaluation
In which we discuss Almarai Unsalted Butter.
I had never noticed that this brand was Saudi. I have no idea how Saudi Arabia farms and I doubt I ever will, but it's a fascinating prospect to ponder. I appreciate that this butter has only 2 ingredients - very wholesome. It is incredibly yellow for presumed desert production, unless they source their cows' milk from outside the country.
Me: Ooh. Smell that!
Girl, 9: It smells like butter!
Me: It smells really buttery! How nice.
G9: It's very yellow too.
Me: It really is. It might be the most yellow of all 7 we're trying today.
G9: It tastes nice.
Me: We didn't get a picture! Oh well. Yes, you're very right. It's rich and has depth even though it's unsalted. This is good butter.
G9: I like this one. 4/5.
Me: Me too. Same. 4/5.
Final Rundown
I don't know how the Saudis are doing it. They don't have any climate that could support grass-fed dairy cows and yet this butter is yellow, creamy, rich and buttery. I suppose the the lacto bacteria could be responsible for the depth but there are no extra colourings listed on the ingredients, so who knows. This appears to be a straight-forward great butter! I have a feeling their salted butter is going to be right up my alley...
Colour: Butter yellow.
Aroma: Buttery. Dairy. A little tang with a hint of sweet.
Taste: Butter. Fat. A slight tang at the end to 'lift the dish'.