We finally located Italian butter in Dubai! We recognised the brand from our pre-covid travels but this is SALTED - quite unusual for an Italian butter...
"Antica cremeria" means the old-fashioned dairy. Based in Reggio Emilia, Antica Cremeria falls under Montanari & Gruzza, who produce an impressive array of butters that are, sadly as of yet, not available to the international market. That being said, both this butter and its unsalted counterpart are available internationally, and we were lucky enough to find them in Dubai! This is a butter we readily enjoy whilst on holiday in Italy (back when we had the chance) and it's a delight to formally welcome it to the annals of the International Butter Club! The funny thing is, Italian butter is unsalted. And white. This stuff, however, breaks with tradition...
Antica Cremeria Salted Butter Appreciation
Butter Break Down
Appreciation Date: January 8, 2021
Country of Origin: Italy
Point of Procurement: Secrets Fine Food, Dubai
Purchase State: Frozen
Milk: Cow, pasteurised
Salt Content: Not indicated but salted
Milk Fat Content: Not indicated
Ingredients: Pasteurised cream of milk, lactic cultures
Packaging Type: Coated paper
Company Website: https://www.montanari-gruzza.it/en/
Butter Evaluation
In which we discuss Antica Cremeria's Salted Butter.
Well. This little butter is indeed surprising! Despite the fact that the alternative fact information on the internet claiming that salt levels is what determines the colour of butter, the salted and unsalted versions of Antica Cremeria's butter are very different colours. Italian butter in general is quite white and solid but this, as you can see, is a lovely, deep, glossy yellow! The unsalted version is nearly the same colour as the wrapper but the salted butter is more typical of an Alpine or grass fed butter and it's truly fascinating. Our notes indicate that it has a crumbly texture, similar to the unsalted butter, with some colour variation from the churning process which is nice.
On bread, this butter lightens up quite a bit, especially since the phone captured the light completely differently at that angle but oh well. The aromas of this one are distinctly pleasant: milky, slightly sweet with a vaguely salty edge to it. Despite the fact that lactic ferments are part of the ingredient list, it's not tangy or cheesy. Just light and milky, in like Italian butters everywhere.
The taste profile of this one is very fresh - it starts off very salt-forward, clearing to light cream with a lovely buttery aftertaste on the palate. The mouthfeel is sturdy but quickly warms to coat the mouth well and clears without leaving any stodgy residue. Nice stuff!
Final Rundown
Well. This is a delightful little butter. It's very fresh and light with a good salt level that packs a punch but doesn't overpower the buttery notes. This is one of the better balanced, fresher butters we've encountered, as long as you enjoy salted butter!
Colour: Deep, glossy yellow
Aroma: Milky with notes of sweet salt
Taste: Salt forward then fresh cream