If you’ve ever strolled past the dairy section at your local grocery store, you’ve likely seen a tub or stick of margarine, too. It usually has a similar name to butter. You may have asked yourself – “what is margarine, anyway?”
The story of margarine starts back in the 19th century in France. Emperor Napoleon III sought a butter alternative for his army and for the lower classes. Butter was a luxury item, not always attainable. Along came margarine, a substance born out of vegetable oils and water. It was engineered to be less expensive.
Margarine’s popularity grew in Europe over the years, until it finally reached the United States. At first, it encountered opposition, particularly from the dairy industry. Margarine presented a risk of displacing them in the market. Over time, margarine managed to take up residence in plenty of households.
What is Margarine Made Of?
The most common ingredients are a mixture of vegetable oils, water and, in some products, milk and flavoring agents. Salt is added as a preservative and acidity regulator. That key ingredient, vegetable oil, can be made from soybean, palm, canola or sunflower, to name just a few fat plants. These are then processed to make a butterlike product.
Emulsifiers are included to make the oil and water components blended. This provides the smooth and spreadable consistency of margarine. As a flavor additive, salt is used and additional flavors can also be added. These can be to taste like butter or to make other margarine spreads.
Butter vs. Margarine
Now that we understand what margarine is made of, how does this differ from the dairy product it was designed to replace – our favorite butter?
Ingredients: Butter is produced from milk cream (as we all know), but margarine being mostly composed of vegetable oils. This makes the latter a good alternative if you are lactose intolerant or are a vegan. My friend often uses this delicious spread and according to her, it’s an amazing alternative.
Taste: Butter has a rich, creamy flavor profile that is derived from the cream it’s made from. Margarine commonly claims to taste similar, but has a slightly different flavor from its vegetable oil base.
Nutrition: Butter is a heart attack on a plate, each tablespoon is loaded with saturated fat. But unlike butter, margarine has unsaturated fatty acids. Healthier for the heart. But some of it also includes trans fats, which you should steer clear of for health reasons.
Cooking Use: Butter and margarine are interchangeable when it comes to cooking and baking. However, they might change the texture of cakes and cookies in some recipes. Generally, butter is liked for its taste. Margarine is more popular because of the price and for people who have specific eating conditions.
How to use it?
Ways to Enjoy Margarine
Margarine is a spread with many uses:
Toast: Next time you make the morning toast, spread some margarine on it, and you’ll have the taste of butter with none of the dairy!
Baking: Your favorite baking recipes that you love, like cookies, cakes and pastries, can all be made with margarine instead of butter using a one-to-one substitution.
Cooking: Use this spread to fry veggies or make pancakes.
Sauce: Melt non-dairy margerine and drizzle over popcorn or vegetables as a sauce.
Mashed potatoes: Add some when mashing mashed potatoes, this makes them SOO soft and creamy.
For those who are vegan or simply looking to save a little money, it’s a nice plant-based option. So when you grab that tub of margarine again, you’ll know what exactly it is. You can use it to enrich your relationship with the foods you should love to begin with.
