Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a dairy beverage that exists in two primary forms: traditional and cultured. Traditional buttermilk is the liquid left over after butter is churned from cream, naturally developing lactic acid during this process. This form is particularly prevalent in warmer climates, such as India, where milk can sour quickly. In contrast, cultured buttermilk is produced through the intentional fermentation of cow's milk, involving the addition of specific bacteria to create lactic acid. Characteristically, buttermilk has a sour taste and a thicker consistency than regular milk, while typically containing less fat.
Historically, buttermilk has been consumed since ancient times, with evidence of its production dating back to Sumerian civilizations. It gained popularity in the United States during the colonial era and was commonly integrated into breakfast settings. However, its popularity fluctuated over the years, particularly with the arrival of Eastern European immigrants who incorporated it into their daily diets. By the late nineteenth century, buttermilk became a key ingredient in baking due to its ability to activate baking soda. Despite its decline in consumption in the later decades of the twentieth century, buttermilk continues to be a favored ingredient in various baked goods today.
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Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a dairy drink that comes in two forms: traditional and cultured. Traditional buttermilk refers to the liquid that remains inside a butter churner after milk cream, derived from milkfat, is stirred into butter. Traditional buttermilk contains naturally occurring lactic acid, which builds up in the time it takes for milkfat to separate from milk. It is common in warmer regions of the planet such as India, where milk sours easily. Cultured buttermilk is created through the intentional fermentation, or microorganic breakdown, of cow's milk. This type of buttermilk is essentially artificial buttermilk and involves the addition of unnaturally occurring bacteria to produce lactic acid. Buttermilk usually has a sour taste due to the presence of lactic acid in the liquid. The drink is also thicker than regular milk, although it contains less fat. Buttermilk is commonly used as an ingredient in many dishes, particularly baked goods.
Overview
Human use of butter and buttermilk extends back to ancient Sumerian civilizations. Archaeologists discovered illustrations of buttermilk production in wall sculptures of Sumerian temples dating back to 2550 B.C.E. Buttermilk production in the United States dates back to the colonial era when Dutch settlers commonly included the drink as part of their breakfast. The drink could later be found in 1800s New York where it was sold by the quart or used to make a food item called pot cheese, which combined buttermilk, salt, butter, and occasionally sage. Since refrigeration was uncommon until the twentieth century, buttermilk was a fairly common by-product of milk after it was churned into butter. Depending on how long milk was left to sit, buttermilk could either taste sweet if made from fresh cream, or tart if made from sour cream.
Buttermilk was not very popular among English-speaking Americans for many years and usually served as feed for animals or slaves. The drink began to flourish in the United States with the arrival of Eastern European immigrants, many of whom drank buttermilk on a daily basis. By the late nineteenth century, buttermilk became a staple ingredient in many cookbooks due to its ability to activate baking soda, a common ingredient in baking. By the early twentieth century, advances in refrigeration led to a decline in naturally occurring buttermilk.
The decrease in traditional buttermilk methods also coincided with a new process for creating the dairy drink. Dairy businesses discovered a way to produce buttermilk rapidly by adding certain bacteria to low-fat milk, creating lactic acid in a process known as culturing. Buttermilk derived from low-fat milk was cheaper to produce than regular milk and also appealed to low-fat dieters of the era. By the 1960s, cultured buttermilk was one of the highest-selling dairy products in the United States, especially among immigrant populations. Usage of buttermilk steadily declined over the next several decades as consumers began avoiding high-fat products entirely. Due to its name, buttermilk was often misread as a fatty food despite commonly containing little to no fat. Sales continued to fall, decreasing by 60 percent between 1975 and 2008. Although the habit of drinking buttermilk greatly diminished during this period, buttermilk remained a popular addition to homemade baked goods such as pancakes and biscuits well into the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
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