Chris Slade describes the son et lumiere presentation at the abbey of Bon Repos called "Le Pays de Conomor" in Brittany, which takes place during the first two weeks of August.
Does unsalted butter exist in Brittany?
The Bretons love butter. They consume enormous amounts of the stuff and even joke that they can’t live without it.
Breton butter has a very high-fat content, at least 80% with 16% water and between 2% and 3% salt. I have been told that when making butter there is no need to add salt because the cows eat grass that has been sprayed with seawater and that it is such a deep yellow because cows are rather partial to buttercups! The Bretons are pretty passionate about butter, and it is as essential to them as the sea air they breathe.
If you stumble across a dairy stand at a market in Southern Brittany, buy a pack of real butter, I promise you the taste is NOTHING like the stuff they call butter that you buy in the supermarkets. It is absolutely delicious on fresh bread. One word of warning…. The demand for real butter at some markets is so high you have to order it a week in advance (and it isn’t cheap butter)!
So the question is: can one find unsalted Breton butter? Well, the answer is yes. It is called Beurre doux (as opposed to Beurre demi-sel) and is just as tasty: mild, creamy, delicious spread on a slice of fresh crusty baguette!
Beurre doux on French bread
Now, you may start to worry about cholesterol but you just need to tell yourself that with Breton Butter the cholesterol can only be organic. So go ahead, eat away and enjoy every mouthful!
