There's also all sort of buffalo meat products, some of which covered on this blog, like burgers and jerky and whatnot. Lean, meaty, tasty. Just like a good animal should.
And apparently, there's also now Trader Joe's Grass Fed Buffalo Milk Butter.
Returning once again to my albeit limited knowledge of buffalo, I know that buffalo are mammals. Mammals make milk. That also means that buffalo have nipples, which I never thought of until now, but came to mind because one of Robert DeNiro's greatest cinematic lines ever. Baby buffs need to eat somehow, I suppose....still. Buffalo nipples. No thanks.
Moving on....with buffalo milk you can make buffalo butter. That's what TJ's did, because, well, why not, right? If that doesn't sound exotic enough, it's "lightly salted with pink Himalayan salt." Hoo boy.
Despite all that, this butter tastes not all that different from regular butter. There's no overriding "weird factor" at play here. Maybe the only weird thing is how normal it is. If anything, the butter tastes a little milder, and maybe a touch less salty, but there's nothing abundantly different with it. We're primarily Kerrygold fans in our house (please, no "vegetable oil spreads" for us), and there's a difference: that aforementioned mildness.There's an extra something to Kerrygold which isn't there with the TJ's buffalo butter, but that's not meant as a pejorative. I can only taste the difference because, for the sake of the blog, I sampled both straight off a spoon* and I'd say is a tossup which one I like more. That's some praise.
I will add that the buffalo butter isn't too prone to spreading. It's hard when chilled, and even if kept out for a bit, the butter never really spreads that much. It's not a big deal for me, as the only time I spread butter is on top of something fresh out of the toaster, and this butter melts nicely when given the right conditions.
We like it. Seems healthier than regular butter - less cholesterol? I'm a guy reaching my mid 30s. Yes please! - without sacrificing too terribly much. I'm not sure if this "our new butter" or not, but I've caught both my wife and my kids eating it just straight*, a smidge here, a tidbit there after using it on toast or a waffle. I don't get it, but it's part of the package deal. The small tub was only a few bucks and worth the pickup. Sandy's only real complaint was it's tub form, making it more difficult to measure for recipes and the like. No other real complaints one way or another.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Grass Fed Buffalo Milk Butter: 7 out of 10 Golden Spoons
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* Eating butter straight is disgusting. I only sampled some straight off a spoon for the purpose of this blog....people like my wife and kids do this willingly. Ugh. Cold lardy spread with nothing else? Gross. Really gross. Don't do it. Ever.
cold butter off a spoon does sound gross. We use real butter occasionally now, mainly because of my diet. The hubby can eat it. I've been using that olive oil spread.
ReplyDeleteBuffalo butter does not even sound appealing to me.
I love Kerrygold with it's "real butter" flavor. Might try this if it's similarly tasty, which it seems to be. And yes, I sometimes like to eat a bit of plain cold *creamy* Kerrygold off a spoon!
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't worry about butter for health concerns. It is actually good for you (especially the grass-fed butters). And, it has been proven that eating cholesterol in foods have pretty much ZILCHO effect on your serum cholesterol level (the level in your blood, which is the health concern). So go ahead and eat the healthy butter and egg yolks with no regrets.
Kerrygold butter is cultured, and that gives it a specific flavor that may be what is missing from the buffalo milk butter
ReplyDeleteI've recently been buying the new Miyoko's cultured organic vegan butter at trader joe's and it is really freaking delicious with that same cultured flavor. But dont eat it off a spoon....!!
http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=8800&catId=1
Ttrockwood
I'll take a bite out of Kerrygold, straight, cold from the fridge or sitting on the counter. But that new vegan butter? No way, I tried, I gave it a chance, I cooked with it. I might try cooking with it again, but I didn't like it at all.
DeleteI can't say for sure, but I would guess that this is more likely made from European buffalo (which are used to make mozzarella di buffalo), not American ones (which are technically bison)
ReplyDeleteOops, I meant mozzarella di bufala :)
DeleteI think Monica is right - not bison, but buffalo.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. Love your commentary! Made me laugh when I'm having a rough day. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt says "water buffalo" right on the package. American buffalo, seriously?!? Someone needs to learn how to read and do some very basic research before typing.
ReplyDeleteIt's delicious, delicate and very mild. Not a big difference from regular grass fed butter but enough for me to use it my coffee.For those of you who do Keto coffee in the morning, the butter is much cleaner and less filmy than regular KG. Dont get me wrong I love my KG butter but don't love the glossy lips it leaves. It's not replacing any of our grass fed butters but we are adding a new addition for variety. :)
ReplyDeleteBuffalo grass fed butter has more calcium.
ReplyDeleteGood thing for the consumer. Very creamy and tastes good on toast.
Cute little story...except you have the WRONG ANIMAL! Trader Joes "Grass Fed Buffalo Milk Butter" is from the milk of WATER BUFFALO! LOL...next time you want to praise the American Bison (not BUFFALO)...check the label for listed ingredients. Italian Water Buffalo is Mozarella cheese is traditionally made from.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's Grass Fed Buffalo Milk Butter. I picked it from TJ's a few weeks ago. Went there a couple of weeks later. There was none. I need this butter badly! This is the butter I grew up on during my childhood back in India. This is as close to the original and authentic butter as one can ever hope to find. Hope TJ's brings it back.
ReplyDeleteWhatever animal they're getting the milk from to make this, I don't think it's cow. American buffalo or water buffalo? It's delicious. I agree there isn't a huge difference in taste, but it does taste "richer" to my tongue with a little "edge" to it. From the name, I would expect it to be a greater difference like what you experience with buffalo burgers versus cow burgers. Still, it's a great butter and worth the price. It's $3.99 per tub. That is about what you'll pay for "organic" butter. Knowing the attention to detail paid by Trader Joe's suppliers, I expect this is processed better than traditional methods for mass produced butter. I REALLY HOPE that this never falls into the discontinued bucket, as some of other Trader Joe's greats have done (Like Wasabi Mayo).
ReplyDeleteThey discontinued!!! How could they??? This stuff was the best, so upset now.
ReplyDeleteI agree!!! What did you find to replace it with? I bought a bunch and froze it but I am about to run out! I would appreciate any recommendations that do not come from cows.
DeleteNote that there's an Italian brand by the name of Delitia that makes Buffalo Milk Butter. But they're selling it for DOUBLE the original TJ's price. :-(
ReplyDeleteToo bad the TJ's around here in Alexandria doesn't carry it!
ReplyDelete