It is often said that the French are still considered the best producers of delicious tasting butters in the world, but Australia is gaining momentum with a variety of butter products that can be found at the Markets of Melbourne.

So what are the differences between European and Australian butters? Australian butters are usually more yellow in colour than European butters because Australian dairy cattle graze on green pastures all year with high levels of beta-carotene, the compound that makes carrots orange and of course, butter yellow. Because of this, our butter has higher levels of Vitamin A & K than European butters. European cattle are housed in barns and fed dry food containing less beta-carotene, which results in a whiter colour.

Australian butter is also made using modern, fully automated continuous butter makers from the highest quality Australian raw milk. In Australia, 'Normal' Butter, traditionally called Sweet Cream Butter, is made from pasteurised fresh cream. It usually has slightly higher water content than Cultured (European style) Butter.

'Cultured' butters are made from fermented rather than fresh cream - which adds many interesting flavour notes and a tasty tang. Some small producers are now making quality Australian Cultured butters for you to try. One of which, Pepe Saya in NSW, won the champion butter at the 2010 Royal Melbourne Show Fine Food awards. The Butter Factory in Myrtelford Victoria, is also making inroads with a European style butter to tickle the taste buds. The butter has a slight acidity with a crisp, clean finish that gets your saliva glands working. Their salted butter is lightly salted using a natural lake dried salt from Mt Zero - this gives that traditional crunch that good European butters are known for.

A range of Australian Cultured butters including Pepe Saya (NSW), The Butter Factory Myrtleford (VIC) and European Cultured butters, European butters including Insigny, Lescure and Echiré (as used by Shannon Bennett at Vue de Monde) are available from the Prahran, South Melbourne and Queen Victoria Markets.

So when choosing your next butter purchase, take the time to discover Australian butter and make an educated decision.

MARKET STOCKISTS

PRAHRAN MARKET Pete 'n' Rosie's Deli, Delicatess and other delicatessens. * Pete n Rosie's Deli also sell high quality Belgian butter in bulk (only $14.99 for a whole kilo though you can buy how ever much you want) perfect for large amounts of baking. Ask for it - it's in the back fridge!

QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET Curds & Whey and other delicatessens.

SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET Emerald Hill Deli and other delicatessens.

*Interesting fact: Take a look at your butter pat next time you take it out of the fridge. It will say "Choice Grade" on it. This is a hangover from Colonial times when butters in many grades were made and Choice Grade was the "export quality".

See you at the market!