Why Cork, Ireland Is A Crucial City In The History Of Butter Worldwide

On the southern coast of Ireland, between two channels of the River Lee, you will find the city of Cork, the second largest in the country. It is, of course, home to one of the most well-known tourist attractions on the Emerald Isle, Blarney Castle, the location of the infamous Blarney Stone. But the people of Cork are known for more than just having the gift of the gab — the supposed boon one receives upon kissing the Blarney Stone — they are also known for their butter. In fact, this city, which is now home to over 220,000 people, was once the site of the world's largest butter market.

If you have ever tasted it, you know that Irish butter is special. One fact you should know about Irish butter is that it is a world-renowned product, one that is respected for its consistent high quality. This is, of course, a large part of what the Cork Butter Exchange was responsible for. From the late 18th century to the early 20th, butter producers from the surrounding country would send their butter to the exchange to be inspected, graded, and sold.

Butter from the Cork Exchange would then be loaded onto ships and sent all around the world. The high-quality dairy product made its way not only to nearby Mainland Europe but also as far as the U.S., Brazil, and even Australia. So, what is it about this butter that made it worth shipping all the way across the world, even back when that was quite the journey?

All it takes is a glance at a crock of Irish butter to begin to understand how it differs from what American consumers are typically presented with. American butter comes in pale, almost white, sticks, whereas Irish butter has a lovely natural golden hue. As soon as one applies a knife to the butter, the next difference is apparent. While American butter is quite hard unless warmed, Irish butter is much softer and more spreadable. And we probably don't even need to say it, but Irish butter also tastes much better than American butter. So, what is it that makes Irish butter so delicious?

There are several reasons that Irish butter is such a beloved product. For starters, it is made from pure, grass-fed cow's milk. It is this diet, rich in beta carotene, that gives Irish butter its characteristic lovely color. Beyond the color, the cows' diet also lends the butter a richer flavor than the grain-fed product typical in the United States. As for the delicious spreadability of Irish butter, well, that comes down to the fat. It is typical for American butter to contain around 80% butterfat, which is standard per the United States Department of Agriculture's website.

Irish butter, on the other hand, must contain at least 82% butterfat, and some brands go as high as 90%. The higher levels of fat make Irish butter richer, smoother, and easier to spread, regardless of temperature. If you really want to learn more about Irish butter, there's no better place to do it than Cork. It is not just the former site of the world's largest butter market; there's also a whole museum dedicated to the stuff.

That's right, another entry on the list of museums that every food lover should visit: The Butter Museum. In the museum you will find not only the history of the Cork Butter Exchange but also the story of Ireland's dairy culture as a whole. Exhibits highlight the importance of this dairy product throughout the history of the island nation, as well as how it has changed over time. In addition to the exhibits, the museum is filled with artifacts that would have been used in traditional butter making, from wooden pails and earthenware crocks to the butter stamps that served as a maker's mark, denoting the producer of a particular product.

If you plan your visit properly — you'll want to be there at noon on a Saturday — you can even participate in a demonstration of traditional butter-making techniques. Demonstrators will not only personally explain the process of butter making and its significance to the people of Ireland but actually instruct you in the process. And, of course, if you are making the butter, you aren't going to leave without sampling it — the demonstration also includes a tasting.

Butter lovers have long known that Ireland possesses a superior product, but the significance of the city of Cork in the mythos of butter is perhaps not as well known. Next time you take a bite of soda bread slathered with Irish butter, close your eyes and imagine the bustling exchange, filled with barrels of the richest butter, the pride of Cork.