Butter

The best-quality butter has a sweet flavor, similar to fresh heavy cream; if salt has been added, it should be barely detectable. The color of butter will vary depending upon the breed of cow, the diet of the cow, and the time of year, but is typically a pale yellow.

Both salted and unsalted butter are available. The designation “sweet butter” indicates only that the butter is made from sweet cream (as opposed to sour). If unsalted butter is desired, be sure that the word “unsalted” appears on the package.