Like its unsalted counterpart, Ferma's salted butter is a tasty treat that packs a punch. We loved the complexity of this well-balanced Ukrainian butter!
We will never case to be amazed at how many different Ukrainian butters are easily available here in Dubai. Ferma does both salted and unsalted, so though they're not exactly comparable due to the salt content, it's nice to have a range from a dairy.
We sampled both in the same tasting though we sampled all the unsalted butters before the salted to make sure our palates were minimally impacted with lingering salt. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!
Ferma's Salted Butter Appreciation
Butter Break Down
Appreciation Date: 07/11/2020
Country of Origin: Ukraine
Point of Procurement: Viva Supermarket, DIP, Dubai
Purchase State: Fresh (previously frozen)
Milk: Cow, pasteurised
Salt Content: 1%
Milk Fat Content: 82.5%
Ingredients: Natural pasteurised milk cream, salt.
Declared Possible Allergens: Cow's milk.
Company Website: (Terra Food Export) http://terrafood-export.com/en/about/brands/
Butter Evaluation
In which we discuss Ferma's salted butter.
We tasted the unsalted version of this in the same setting so we were fascinated to try the salted version. As this butter was identifiably cheesy on the palate, we were fascinated to see what the added salt could do to the flavour.
Like its unsalted counterpart, it has good integrity whilst also being a soft, delicate butter. It's opaque with a light butter yellow hue to it and has a medium gloss that gives it a nice shine without getting greasy.
On the nose, this one is rich and buttery with only a faint air of cheese to it. It's certainly not overpowering - it has a lovely, welcoming, buttery aroma to it.
Even though it's only 1% salt, this butter still packs a punch. Though not as salty as some of its French counterparts, we suspect that the cheesier notes are compounded by minimal salt content and makes it quite salt-forward.
The salt punch only lasts a moment though before mellowing into that air of cheesy umami that rests pleasantly on the palate with that French fermenty kind of richness. This is a great butter for enjoying with charcuterie as the salt content and punchy flavour profile is sufficient to hold its own with cheeses, chutneys and pickles.
Final Rundown
Though this may not be a butter for people who appreciate a blank canvas, it's an excellent butter for those who like complex flavours. Like Ferma's unsalted offering, this one reminds us of Violet Beauregarde's overenthusiastic experience with the three-course-meal chewing gum: flavour treat after flavour treat! However, unlike Wonka's untested and unregulated beta version, this one is fully developed, beautiful, enjoyable and leaves you the same colour after you've finished it... though perhaps a little rounder than before.
Colour: Light yellow; opaque; medium gloss.
Aroma: Rich and slightly cheesy.
Taste: Salt forward, softening to a cheesy umami, finishing to buttery and clean on the palate. Could be a bit adventurous for some.