Margarine has increased in popularity as it has been a less expensive and maybe healthier substitute to butter since its invention. Many people assume butter and margarine to be similar. But, when you break it down, margarine and butter are created from separate components, have multiple health benefits, and are used in the kitchen in many ways.
Butter vs Margarine
The main difference between butter and margarine is that thick cream is used to make butter. It has a higher percentage of saturated fat, which can cause many problems. On the other hand, vegetable oils are used to make margarine. It has unsaturated fats, which are considered to be healthy fats by the body.
Butter is a basic nutritional essential made from whipped cream. It is most often used as a fat, spread, or ingredient in sauces, cakes, and pastries. It is manufactured from rich cream of cow’s milk, high in saturated fat and natural cholesterol. Butter is expensive and spoils quickly if it is not stored properly.
Margarine is cooked food that resembles the taste and appearance of butter. It is recommended as a healthy substitute for butter. It is manufactured from vegetable oils and contains many vitamins. Margarine is less expensive and contains less fat and cholesterol than butter. The molecular structure of vegetable oils is modified to make them look solid like butter as they are liquid at normal temperatures.
Comparison Table Between Butter and Margarine
| Parameters Of Comparison | Butter | Margarine |
| Definition | Butter is a milk product made by processing the cream from cow’s milk. | Margarine is an alternative for butter made from vegetable oils. It can be a plant-based product or a combination of plant and milk products. |
| Ingredients | Butter is mainly comprised of cream. | Margarine is mainly comprised of vegetable oil. |
| Process | Processing and separation are used in the production of butter. | Hydrogenation is for Margarine. |
| Fat | Butter is abound in saturated fats. | Margarine abounds in trans fats. |
| Cholesterol | Butter is high in cholesterol | Margarine is low in cholesterol compared to butter. |
| Product Type | Butter is a more natural product | Margarine is a highly processed product. |
| Taste | Butter is soft, creamy, and rich in taste. | The taste of margarine differs widely depending on the brand, but it rarely has the complete flavor of butter. |
What is Butter?
Butter is a dairy product that is prepared by churning milk cream. It is a semi-solid mixture that contains over 80 percent butterfat at room temperature. Cow milk is the most common source of butter. Humans may also prepare it with milk from other animals such as sheep, goats, and buffalos.
Butter is the ideal grease for many cooking applications due to its soft, creamy, and rich flavor. It can be used as a spread, as well as a component in baking, frying, and sauce-making. Butter is soft at room temperature and becomes liquid, and becomes solid when kept at high degrees in the refrigerator. The color of butter varies depending on the feed of the animal whose milk was used to make it.
It comes from saturated fat and is a source of cholesterol for many consumers. Butter causes many health problems, including heart problems. Ghee is another product made from butterfat. There are different types of butter when used for cooking or baking. A few of them include:
- Salted and Unsalted Butter
A little amount of salt is added to salted butter. Salt also serves as a preservative and helps in extending the shelf of butter. There is no salt added in unsalted butter. This type of butter allows bakers to manage the salt amount and is a basic component in many baking recipes.
- Cultured and European- Style Butter
Cultured butter, like yogurt, is made up of live bacteria that produce lactic acid and aromatic compounds, giving it a sour taste. Due to too high milk fat content, European-style butter is richer and softer than American-style butter. It has an average milk fat content of 82 to 86 percent, whereas standard butter in the United States has an average milk fat content of 80 percent.
- Clarified Butter
Clarified butter is formed by refining butter or separating the milk proteins and water content from the butterfat content. It is also known as ghee. The outcome is a gold, translucent butter with a high-fat content, a high boiling point than conventional butter, and a fantastic animal fat alternative.
What is Margarine?
Margarine is an alternative for butter manufactured from vegetable oil. It is made from a mixture of vegetable oils such as palm oil, soybean oil, and palm kernel oil. Margarine is made from vegetable sources. It usually contains unsaturated fats, which help to lower bad cholesterol levels. So, margarine is more effective in reducing cholesterol.
Margarine includes poly saturated fats, which are bad for humans. Vitamins A and D are added to improve their nutritional value. Salts, artificial colors, and preservatives are included in margarine to keep it usable for a long time. The trans fat in margarine can raise blood insulin levels, raising the risk of diabetes.
Vegetable oils are liquid at room temperature. So, scientists changed the chemical structure of vegetable oils to make margarine look like butter. This is achieved by the process of hydrogenation. This method is used to increase the number of saturated fats in the oil. Many different types of oils are used to make margarine, but the texture of the margarine at room temperature is the fundamental variation between them.
- Liquid Margarine
At normal temperature, liquid margarine is more liquid than solid. It is available and sold as a spray or squeeze bottle in the market.
- Margarine Spreads
The most common form of margarine is a soft spread. It is used as a seasoning for toasted bread and other foods that require spreadable margarine.
- Hard Margarine
Hard margarine is solid margarine that is marketed in blocks and used in cooking. It is the most solid variety of margarine and contains the most hydrogenated fats.
Main Differences Between Butter and Margarine
- Butter is a dairy product prepared from animal milk, while margarine is made from vegetable oils.
- Butter involves processing and separation, whereas margarine is prepared by the process of hydrogenation.
- Butter is naturally yellow, which depends on the food given to the animal giving milk, while margarine is white.
- Butter contains saturated fats and cholesterol as it is made from animal milk, whereas margarine contains less fat than butter and has trans fats.
- Butter has a rich and creamier flavor, and a taste similar to cow’s milk, while margarine has a soft flavor or may taste like the artificial flavorings used in its production.
Conclusion
Butter and margarine include fat and are necessary for the optimal functioning of the body. Butter is a dairy fat manufactured by processing the cream of cow’s milk, whereas margarine is a vegetable-oil-based alternative for butter. The primary variation is that butter comes from an animal source, whereas margarine comes from a plant source. Margarine is a healthier alternative as butter contains cholesterol, which is harmful to one’s health. Saturated fats in butter make it rich, whereas trans-fats in margarine make it different from butter. Many of us choose butter because of its delicious flavor.
References
- https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/calr77§ion=11
- https://www.bmj.com/content/312/7036/931.short
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1930387/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0023643884710565