What Is A Butter Board?

Do you like butter? Do you like to put butter on your bread? How about your vegetables or pasta?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need a butter board!

A butter board is a special type of tray that is used to store and serve butter. It is also known as a butter dish or butter server.

Let’s take a closer look at what a butter board is and how it can be used in your kitchen.

How did the butter board come to be?

The butter board made its first appearance in the cookbook by Joshua McFadden called Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables, published in 2017. It gained widespread popularity after a video featuring the food blogger Justine Doiron went viral on TikTok in 2022. The media praised Justine Doiron for spreading the TikTok butter board trend.

Traditionally, the butter board has been around for centuries and is believed to have originated in Europe. The first butter boards were made of wood or stone and were used to store butter in a cool, dry place. Butter was a valuable commodity back then and was often stored in a butter board to keep it from going bad.

In recent years, butter boards have become more popular, and they are now made of various materials, such as wood, bamboo, stone, marble, or plastic. The size of butter boards has also increased, and they are now available in various sizes to fit your needs.

What’s the difference between a butter board, a charcuterie board, and a cheese board?

Now that you know what a butter board is, you might be wondering what the difference is between a butter board, a charcuterie board, and a cheese board.

Charcuterie Board: A charcuterie board is a type of appetizer that consists of various types of meat, cheese, and other snacks. It is typically served with sliced bread or crackers.
Cheese Board: A cheese board is a type of appetizer that consists of various types of cheese and other snacks. It is typically served with bread or crackers.
Butter Board: A butter board is a type of tray that is used to store and serve butter. It can also be used to serve other condiments, such as jam or honey.

As you can see, the main difference between a butter board, a charcuterie board, and a cheese board is the type of food that is served on them. Charcuterie boards are typically filled with meat, cheese, and other snacks, while cheese boards are usually served with just cheese and other snacks.

Butter boards can be used to serve butter, but they can also be used to serve other condiments, such as jam or honey. If you are the type of person who wants to watch their weight, there are healthier alternatives to butter to be spread on a butter board.

What materials are butter boards typically made out of?

Butter boards are typically made out of a variety of materials, such as wood, bamboo, stone, marble, or plastic. The size of butter boards has also increased, and they are now available in a variety of sizes to fit your needs.

Wood: Wood butter boards are the most popular type of butter board. They are typically made out of teak, maple, or cherry wood. Wood butter boards are durable and easy to clean.
Bamboo: Bamboo butter boards are a great eco-friendly option. They are typically made out of bamboo that has been sustainably sourced. Bamboo butter boards are lightweight and easy to clean.
Stone: Stone butter boards are a great option if you are looking for a butter board that is both durable and stylish. Stone butter boards are typically made out of granite or marble.
Plastic: Plastic butter boards are a great budget-friendly option. They are usually made out of food-grade plastic, such as polypropylene. Plastic butter boards are lightweight and easy to clean.

What is typically served on a butter board?

A butter board is a dish of soft butter spread on a wooden cutting board and sprinkled with condiments, ingredients, and edible decorations such as salt, pepper, chili flakes, honey, lemon zest, fruit or vegetable slices, herbs, or edible flowers.

The dish is served with slices of bread and eaten communally as diners scrape the butter off the board and spread it on their bread.

A butter board is similar to a charcuterie board in that it’s an appetizer meant to be shared. The difference is that you don’t need any cooking skills to make a butter board – it’s even easier than making a charcuterie board. Plus, it looks great on Instagram.

The main ingredient here is, of course, butter. Having said that, you should focus on getting a high-quality product for the best taste experience possible. Choose European butter; it has a higher fat content and thus tastes even better. Let it sit out at room temperature until softer; this makes it easier to spread on your crackers or bread.

The original recipe calls for sea salt, nuts, herbs, and honey – but feel free to get creative with whatever toppings sound good to you. Some of our favorites include smoked meats like charcuterie or even some figs or slices of lemon!

The type of bread you use is another critical ingredient. Whether it be sourdough, baguette, whole wheat, rye, or brioche–almost any fresh and high-quality bread will pair well with the butter. If you’re going to share a photo of your dish on social media, wooden boards create the best presentation.

Takeaway

The dish is served with slices of bread and eaten communally as diners scrape the butter off the board and spread it on their bread.

If you’re looking for an Instagram or TikTok-worthy butter board, then look no further than Bali Teak Collective. Our charcuterie and butter boards, as well as live edge tables, are made from teak wood.

At Bali Teak Collective, we promote the traditions, culture, and artistry of Balinese woodwork with our customers in North America. We also focus on preserving sustainable forestry practices to protect the jungles of Bali and other nearby islands. Our company succeeds only when all workers–from mill employees to artisans–profit from it. Contact us today for more information!