Whether you first learned about butter boards through Brooklyn-based cook Justine Doiron’s viral TikTok video, or years ago through Joshua McFadden’s cookbook Six Seasons, it’s easy to see why the masses are intrigued, inspired, and hungry. Butter boards have taken over social media as the popular food trend, with chefs and creators making their own recipe combinations or putting their own spin on the idea.
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Butter, Margarine, and Plant Butter: What's the Difference?
Many people confuse butter, margarine, and hydrogenated oils like shortening because they seem so similar. In reality, each has its positives, drawbacks, and specific uses, making them unique from each other. Learn all about these cooking fats, when it’s okay to substitute, and how you can use plant butter when cooking. Shop All Butter, Margarine, and Butter Spreads Click below to discover more about the unique aspects of butter, margarine, and plant butter. Margarine vs Butter What Is Butter? What Is Margarine? What Is Plant Butter? Cooking and Baking with Butter, Margarine, and Plant Butter Margarine vs Butter The main difference between butter and margarine is that butter is made from dairy and margarine is made of refined vegetable oil and water. Margarine is also considered to be slightly healthier than butter because it contains less cholesterol and has important nutrients like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. What Is Butter? Butter is a dairy product made from churned cream. Butter has a rich, smooth mouthfeel and potent flavor, making it a great fat to use in cooking. In terms of popularity, butter is the most common fat used in cooking, and can be used to make anything from desserts like cakes to savory foods like soups. What Is Butter Made of? Butter is made by churning cream to pull apart the liquids from the solids, separating the butterfat from the buttercream. Cow’s milk is usually used to create butter products, especially in North America and Europe. However, there are other varieties of butter you can use such as goat butter and sheep butter. Is Butter Unhealthy? The healthiness of butter has long been a hot-button topic, especially with the ingredient’s prevalence in our diets. Butter is high in both calories and fat, meaning it can contribute to heart disease. Although butter may be delicious, its unhealthy properties mean it's probably best used in moderation. What Is Margarine? Margarine is a type of vegetable-based spread used during baking and cooking. It was initially created in France and has been used all over the world ever since. While butter and margarine are nearly identical in consistency and use, margarine is slightly healthier based on calories, fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. It is also made up of additional healthy fatty acids and small traces of vitamins. When baking low-calorie recipes, try using light margarine or margarine butter with phytosterols, the plant version of cholesterol, because those two types have a lower calorie count. Is Margarine Vegan? Yes, many brands of margarine are vegan and vegetarian friendly. However, some brands include animal products like milk or whey. If you want to make sure the margarine is suitable for those with a dairy restriction, look for a certified vegan label on the package. This means the product is completely free of dairy products. Is Margarine Healthy? Margarine is made from vegetable oils, meaning it contains “good” unsaturated fats and no cholesterol. However, some margarine contains trans-fat which is even worse for your body than the saturated fats in butter. In terms of caloric density, margarine ranges from having slightly fewer calories than butter to containing the same. As a result, you’ll find that quality margarine may be slightly healthier than butter, but calling margarine a healthy food overall is a big stretch. What Is Plant Butter? Plant butter is a dairy-free and gluten-free butter made with plant-based oils from olives, avocados, and almonds. With an increase in alternative diets like vegetarianism, veganism, and gluten intolerance, plant butter is a healthy non-dairy substitute for normal butter. Plant Butter vs Margarine Plant butter and margarine seem very similar to each other, but the key difference is that margarine may still contain slight traces of dairy products. On the other hand, plant butter is completely free of any animal products. Outside of this one difference, there are no other key discernable features between the two. Plant Butter vs Butter The key difference between plant butter and regular butter is that plant-based butter is made by combining water with a plant-derived oil, while its counterpart is made from animal products. In terms of nutritional value, plant-based butter has some positives in that they contain less cholesterol than normal butter, but are just as dense calorically. Plant butter also contains more coloring and artificial flavoring than dairy butter. Is Plant Butter Healthy? Many people assume that since plant-based butter is vegan they are healthy, but that isn’t always the case. Plant-based butter still contains a large number of saturated fats which are bad for your body. As a result, plant-based butter isn’t considered a healthy food and is only marginally healthier than typical dairy butter. Cooking and Baking with Butter, Margarine, and Plant Butter Even though butter, margarine, and plant butter all have slightly different ingredients, you can still cook and bake with all three equally. The taste will not differ too much, but the texture of the food may change a little. Use plant butter or margarine to cook eggs, vegetables, or your famous cookies, just like you would use butter. When baking with butter, much like when baking with lard, your food will have a nice golden color because the butter allows the food to brown when cooked. Margarine and plant butter, on the other hand, don’t provide as nice of a golden color, but they still give food and baked goods the same buttery crunch. With all of this newfound knowledge of butter, margarine, and now plant butter, you can confidently cook and bake delicious food based on your preferences. Try a beloved recipe and substitute plant butter for regular butter or butter for margarine to see if there’s a difference. You might find a new favorite butter alternative!
Does Butter Need to Be Refrigerated?
When it comes to butter, there's a debate that has been going on for years - should it be refrigerated or not? The answer, as it turns out, depends on the type of butter, your kitchen's climate, and the storage container being used. Can You Leave Butter Out? According to the FDA, not all butter is classified as a TCS food, which means some butter types can be stored safely at room temperature. Pasteurized butter that contains sufficient amounts of fat and salt to prevent the growth of bacteria can be safely kept at room temperature for one to two days. Butter is made from churning milk or cream and typically contains at least 80% milk fat. The high fat content in butter helps to preserve it for a longer time compared to other perishable dairy products. To guarantee its safety and prevent the growth of bacteria, commercially made butter undergoes the pasteurization process, which involves heating the butter to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present. This process helps extend the shelf life of the butter and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. How Long Can You Leave Butter Out? We’ve outlined below how long you can leave certain types of butter out on the counter and which ones should stay refrigerated. Salted butter can be left at room temperature for one to two days if stored properly. The addition of salt acts as a natural preservative and significantly lowers the risk of bacterial contamination. If you will not use the salted butter in this time frame, it is best to keep it refrigerated. Unsalted butter can be left out at room temperature for up to six hours before baking. Unlike salted butter, unsalted butter is more susceptible to spoilage due to its lack of salt as a natural preservative so it is best to store it in the refrigerator. Whipped butter, margarine, compound butter, and vegan butter are more prone to spoilage and should always be refrigerated. Unpasteurized or homemade butter is considered a TCS food and should always be refrigerated. Tips for Storing Butter on the Counter If you do plan to keep salted butter at room temperature for easy spreading, here are some tips to make sure it stays fresh: Keep only small amounts of butter at a time at room temperature. Store the rest in your refrigerator or freezer for future use. Store it in an opaque butter dish or airtight container to protect it from light and air. Store it away from direct sources of heat, such as the stove. Make sure the room’s temperature is below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a warmer climate or have a particularly hot kitchen, it's best to err on the side of caution and refrigerate your butter to maintain its quality. How Long Does Butter Last in the Fridge? In the refrigerator, unsalted butter can last for one month, while salted butter can last for up to three months because of the salt’s preserving nature. For optimal shelf life, it is recommended to store butter in its original packaging at the back of the refrigerator. This section tends to be the coldest part, ensuring the butter stays fresh for longer. If you have a large quantity of butter that you won't be able to use up within a few weeks, you can also freeze it. Freezing butter extends its shelf life for up to a year. Just make sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. Does Butter Go Bad? The short answer is yes, butter is a perishable product that can go bad if not stored properly. Because of its high fat content, butter can turn rancid due to a process known as oxidation. When butter is exposed to oxygen, light, or heat, it can oxidize and develop an off-flavor and color. To prevent butter from spoiling and going rancid, it's best to store it in the refrigerator. The cool temperature helps slow down the oxidation process and keeps the butter fresh for longer periods. However, if you prefer to have your butter soft and spreadable, you can keep a small amount at room temperature in a covered butter dish. Just make sure to use it within a few days to avoid any potential spoilage. How to Tell If Butter Has Gone Bad If you're concerned about the quality of your butter, there are a few signs to look out for. Rancid butter tends to have a sour or off smell. It may also have a yellow or brown color instead of the usual creamy white. Additionally, if you notice any mold growth on the butter, it's definitely time to discard it. Although refrigeration is the optimal method for storing butter, it is worth noting that salted butter can be safely kept at room temperature for a maximum of two days. If you choose to leave your butter out, follow our guidelines to maintain its freshness and prevent spoilage.
Menu Engineering
Applying menu psychology when you design your menu encourages patrons to spend more. In a foodservice landscape plagued by staffing shortages, inflation, and supply chain disruption, maximizing profits is more important than ever. We teach you popular menu psychology tactics, menu engineering do's and don’ts, and how to use the menu matrix so you can work smarter not harder with the menu items you already have. Use these links to jump to the menu optimization information that interests you: Menu Psychology Menu Matrix Menu Engineering Online Menu Engineering What Is Menu Psychology? Menu psychology is the study of how a restaurant’s menu organization affects customer spending. Restaurants use the principles of menu psychology to influence their menu design. The goal is to create menus that prompt customers to choose their order immediately without considering the price. Menu Psychology Tips Discover general menu psychology best practices to apply to your menu: Limit choices. The “paradox of choice” states that the more options we have, the more anxiety we feel. Psychologists suggest that restaurateurs limit options per category to around 7 items. Make your menu scannable. Avoid crowded layouts, and choose an easy-to-read font and font size. Include clear section headings and visible dish titles. Even if your menu is more than one or two pages, menu engineers would agree that if your menu is scannable with fewer choices per category, guests will still feel at ease when choosing their order. Use appetite-stimulating colors. Capture attention and trigger appetite with bright colors like red, yellow, and orange. You can use this to attract attention to specific areas of your menu and create a hierarchy for the layout. Create color associations. Match your color scheme to your restaurant’s theme to reinforce associations. For example, use light blue for a seafood restaurant, and use green and tan for a farm-to-table restaurant. Invoke nostalgia or humanize dishes. These menu items are attractive because customers feel like they’re ordering something special, and they induce happy memories of childhood or feelings of comfort and closeness. Examples: “Grandma’s Chocolate Chip Cookie," “Campfire Hot Chocolate," or references to the chef or restaurant owner, such as “Chef Mike’s Charbroiled Steak." Include a separate dessert menu. If guests see an eye-catching dessert, they are more likely to skip an appetizer. By surprising guests with your dessert menu after dinner, you are more likely to obtain appetizer and dessert sales. Use photos sparingly or not at all. Excessive photos are associated with low-end, cheap venues, so high-end restaurants usually avoid photos. However, one photo per page has been shown to increase sales by up to 30%, especially at casual eateries. Use your Instagram and Facebook pages to share more photos of your food. Select an ergonomic menu. Physically oversized menus can be uncomfortable for guests to maneuver. Select a menu that is easy to handle and will fit comfortably on tables. Back to Top What Is the Menu Matrix? The menu matrix is a method of categorizing a menu and providing a detailed breakdown of each dish. It helps you understand the popularity and profitability of your menu items so you can increase sales and reduce food waste. The menu matrix is formatted onto a spreadsheet or database so menu engineers can easily apply the findings to their menu designs. How to Use the Menu Matrix Plotting out your menu items with the menu matrix is the easiest way to discern their ranking. The menu matrix tracks an item's popularity and profitability. Choose a timeframe to track your menu items. Record the volume sold of each item along with the profit brought in by each menu item. Plot the information on a graph; the Y axis will reflect the volume sold, and the X axis will reflect the profit of the item. Menu Matrix Template In the menu engineering field, common terminology groups together different levels of profitability and popularity: Plowhorses: Low Profitability and High Popularity - Plowhorses are menu items that do not have a high-profit margin but are crowd-pleasers, making them essential to your menu. A classic example is steak or fresh-caught, unique fish. You might consider using less expensive ingredients or decreasing the portion size to make it more profitable. If the item continues to have a small profit margin, you should avoid upselling or featuring it on your menu. Dogs: Low Profitability and Low Popularity - Dogs represent food items that are ordered infrequently and have a low-profit margin. Consider removing these items from your menu. However, there are cases when you may want to keep Dogs on your menu. One example may be kids' options, such as a grilled cheese or kiddie burger, which may not sell often but are important to keep on your menu for families. If continuing to offer items in this category, avoid upselling or accentuating them on your menu. Stars: High Profitability and High Popularity - Stars are the items that have a high-profit margin and customers order frequently. Typical examples include pasta or popular cocktails, like margaritas. You should showcase Stars the most on your menu, promote them, and avoid drastically changing their ingredients. Puzzles: High Profitability and Low Popularity - Puzzles are items that have a high-profit margin but are hard to sell. The recipes of these items may need to be tweaked to appeal to guests. Additionally, servers should upsell these menu items, and menu engineers recommend highlighting them on your menu. Back to Top What Is Menu Engineering? Following menu psychology strategies, menu engineering highlights the most popular and profitable items. It uses the menu matrix to analyze menus. Based on the menu matrix data, menu engineers strategically design menu layouts to maximize restaurant profits. How to Engineer a Menu Studies show that customers are likely to order one of the first items that draw their attention. Since guests only spend an average of 109 seconds looking at your menu, it must be designed for guests to easily find key items. Follow these steps to engineer your menu and increase your profits. Apply the Menu Matrix - To engineer your menu, analyze your menu items to figure out which ones are the most popular and profitable. Plot your menu items on the menu matrix to discern their ranking. You will construct your menu around high-ranking items. Evaluate Pricing - Based on your menu matrix findings, adjust your menu prices to maximize your profits. Highlight Profitable Items - Include a photo, graphic, colored or shaded box, border, or surround the item(s) with white space. Only highlight one or two items per section. Arrange Menu Sections - Place the items you want to sell in the center, the top right corner, and the top left corner. Psychologists fittingly call these three areas “The Golden Triangle," and it refers to the way our eyes tend to move when first looking at a menu. Arrange Lists - In each section, place your most profitable items at the top of the list and one at the bottom. Studies show that people notice and order the top two items or the last item in each section more often than the others. Make Expensive Items More Appealing - Include a “decoy” menu item that would seem overly expensive to guests. Place this near your high-profit margin items. They may already have a reasonable price, but when compared to the “decoy” item, they will appear even more attractive. Or, put a “decoy” item next to your high-profit, pricey items that would seem more reasonable when compared to the “decoy” item(s). Bracket Menu Items - “Bracketing" is including two portion options for one dish without including the exact size. The “larger” size will have a steeper price (ex. $31), while the “smaller” size will have a cheaper price (ex. $22). The customer won’t know exactly how much smaller the small portion is, but it will appear to offer better value since it costs less. The “smaller” portion can be the one you wanted to sell the whole time, but this tactic makes the meal item more attractive by making guests believe they're choosing a dish with good value. Use the Price Nesting Method - List the price discreetly after each meal description in the same size font, so customers’ eyes glide right over the price and focus on your engaging meal description. Menu Engineering Mistakes Now that you know menu engineering best practices, it’s time to brush up on menu engineering mistakes so you can avoid them. Just as much as a well-designed menu can increase profits, these foibles can decrease customer spending. Avoid the following menu design mistakes: Ending Your Prices with .99 - A price that ends in .99 sounds cheap or gimmicky to many consumers. Dollar Signs - Currency indicators remind customers that they’re spending money and can even make them feel like they are spending more than they are. Soften the price by eliminating the dollar sign. Price Trails - Price trails are dotted lines that connect your menu items to their price, which is often listed on the other side of the page. This takes the focus away from your dish description and highlights the price instead. Price Columns - Placing your prices in a column next to your dishes helps guests easily compare prices and encourages them to choose the cheapest item. Online Menu Engineering A navigable website and streamlined online ordering are essential to modern restaurants. But the ideal physical menu is different than the perfect online menu. Discover online menu engineering best practices below. Mobile Responsive - Create a mobile responsive menu so viewers don’t have to pinch and zoom to view your menu on their smartphones. Picture Heavy - Unlike in-person menus, studies show that items with photos get more orders on online menus. An interactive online menu that provides a picture when you click on a menu item is ideal. Few Choices - While you don’t want to overburden physical menus, patrons are more tolerant of expansive menus in person than they are of mobile menus. If patrons have to click through too many pages, they will likely navigate away. Organize items under different tabs so patrons can view the sections they’re interested in without having to scroll through multiple pages. Keep each tab scannable. Promote Best Sellers - When patrons click on your online menu, feature a best sellers category full of your most popular, highest profit items at the top. Item Suggestion - When customers select an item, offer a “customers also order” suggestion area underneath the product description. An example would be having chips and guacamole, margaritas, and queso suggested beneath the expanded description of your carnitas tacos. Back to Top The marrying of menu psychology and design is known as menu engineering. Apply these menu engineering tactics to increase your restaurant profits. Save our menu matrix template and can periodically evaluate whether your menu highlights your bestsellers.
