It’s no secret that the French do everything better: skincare, fashion, work-life balance and, of course, food. If you can get your hands on anything French here in the United States—whether it’s a specialty cheese or a bottle of luxury sunscreen—you buy it. Buttering your toast in the morning should be no different. And this $7 block of carefully-wrapped butter is about to change your mornings from ‘meh’ to marvelous. I wanted to know why this butter was causing such a stir (churn?) on TikTok. We learned a lot about butter-making by going straight to the creamy top just for you.
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What is Isigny Ste Mère Beurre d’Isigny?
Not all butter is created equal. The store brand you get from the supermarket is vastly different than this imported treat, which is available seasonally (read: now!) at Whole Foods. Quality ingredients (while usually more expensive) equal better-tasting food, right? Most recipes even gently suggest buying the best quality ingredients you can afford because the result will taste much better. This butter is no different. TikTokers are going wild for this butter block because it’s turning everyday food into an elevated experience for cheap. The exclusivity of its availability, of course, is one reason why it’s so popular. The other reason is in the quality, namely the actual butter-making process, which differs from your run-of-the-mill store brand, according to Nicole West, the principal category merchant for dairy at Whole Foods.
“We love the tradition and care that goes into producing their delicious, creamy butter,” she said. “We partner with them every year on [the] exclusive grass-fed spring seasonal butter which is…produced with milk collected from the first grazing of spring just after the cows return to the field.”
Sounds amazing, right? That’s because it is. The milk the company uses is sourced from the “grand cru of the dairy world,” the Isigny region of France, a place where the misty warm air by the sea mixes with the rich pastures the cows graze on, which definitely comes through in the color and taste of this European beauty.
This milk, which is collected every 48 hours, is subjected to various quality control tests before being passed along to the next step, which is the second golden key as to why this butter tastes different: the slow maturation of the cream before churning.
What can you do with Isigny Ste Mère Beurre d’Isigny?
Wherever you use regular sticks or a tub of butter, you can use Isigny Ste Mère Beurre d’Isigny instead, and you should. Spread it on crusty bread, top your steak with it or bake it into cookies. West says she loves to use it for everything and that eating it “truly is an experience to be savored.”
“This butter elevates anything you are making,” she says. “Baking, incorporating it into sauces or creating a spiced butter…it’s also delicious slathered on a slice of really good sourdough or hearty bread so you can truly enjoy the creamy, fresh taste.”
People on TikTok have some wonderfully mouthwatering ways to use this butter too, with one commenter suggesting to “put it on a baguette and then top w cheese. Blue cheese is the best. Learned this in Paris.”
I tried the butter two ways: slathered on a French baguette (duh) and cooked into a veggie frittata.
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What does Isigny Ste Mère Beurre d’Isigny taste like?
Let me just say, there is some butter in this world that is so good, you just might be guilty of eating it off the knife before spreading it on your toast (just me? Doubtful). This is that butter. I can totally understand why people on TikTok are scrambling to grab it off the shelves. In fact, speaking of availability, I had to go to not one, not two but three Whole Foods in order to score a block of it. There are a few different versions of this butter too: unsalted, salted and in a rolled-out format for pastry making (I did not see this version on store shelves, however). I was on the lookout for the salted block because unsalted butter is just far less superior for my morning toast.
The unwrapping process was like Christmas morning. A double-wrapped little package with a cardboard sleeve. Unfolding the fancy, heavy paper gave me a glimpse of what I was about to taste. The golden, mellow yellow color was delicate and I took out my fanciest silver butter knife and heaviest wooden board for the occasion.
Served with the baguette (and spread thick), I could taste the creamy grassy notes and the earthy French saltiness that wasn’t at all overwhelming. It was smooth and luxurious and didn’t leave a trace of film in my mouth as cheaper butter can do. Cooked into the frittata was another treat—it melted evenly and coated my veggies and eggs nicely in the pan. It was light and perfumy as it melted and definitely nurtured my inner Julia Child as I made breakfast.
TikTokers agree: European butter just hits different.
“I could buy this only and just live off this butter. It’s the best,” said one commenter. Same. Score a block of this beautiful butter at Whole Foods or on Amazon through late June, if you’re lucky.
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