This Is The Difference Between Irish Butter And Regular Butter

These days, shoppers can brows a vast selection of products in their grocery stores. Organic, gluten free, and vegan options are now commonly available. That means it can be overwhelming to choose the right product, even for something as simple as butter. Irish butter has some clear, mouth watering differences between regular butter and it's worth knowing about.

So what is Irish butter?  One of the best known and most common brands is Kerrygold (via Baking Bites). Kerrygold Irish butter is classified as a "European-style" butter, which basically means that it has a higher butterfat content than the average American butter (via Baking Bites). The butterfat content in an Irish butter such as Kerrygold has 82% butterfat, whereas the standard American butter has 80% (per Real Simple). The difference might sound small, but the extra 2% gives a noticeable, extra creamy, super flavorful addition to whatever you are adding butter to.

Extra butterfat aside, Kerrygold Irish butter differentiates to other butters in the color as well. Irish butter has a distinctly rich yellow shade which comes from beta carotene. Real Simple explains that the seriously rainy Irish climate is perfect for fertile soil and extra green grass resulting in high levels of beta carotene. The grass-fed Irish cows absorb the beta carotene which in result, gives Irish butter that satisfying yellow tint.

Professionals rave about the taste of Irish butter. Boston-based caterer and food consultant Anna Gershenson says Kerrygold is her go-to. "It imparts wonderful flavor to everything, be it toast, cooked grains, enriched doughs, you name it," she says. "I am very discerning about where and how food is sourced. Kerrygold meets my standard" (via Eater).

If you're curious about trying Irish butter, it won't be hard to get ahold of some. Kerrygold butter is the second-best-selling branded butter in the United States. In 2018, the brand sold $1 billion worth of their product in more than 80 markets across the world (per Eater). Sounds like Irish butter is rich in more ways than one.