More about "Butter"

Reading about butter in Elaine Khosrova's book Butter: A Rich History -- it's the next selection for my culinary book group. I enjoyed the historical accounts of butter and the mythology of butter in earlier times, such as in Ireland, and descriptions of using and making butter in India, France, 19th century America, and many other times and places. I was thinking about a few other areas where very early people made butter.

Here are a few photos showing some of my butter-themed thoughts --

My favorite ancient figurine: a woman holding a butter churn on her head.
Chacolithic era from the sanctuary of Gilat in the Negev in Israel.
Dated 5500 to 6500 years ago. (Israel Museum, Jerusalem, my photo.) 

How milk was churned in these vessels: they were hung up and shaken
back-and-forth, as shown. The figurine above, and others in the sanctuary,
also used churns for an unknown symbolic meaning in grave goods. (My photo)

Similar Chacolithic churn (Haifa Museum, Wikipedia)

And in contemporary culture...

Last year's Minnesota Butter Princess and her sculpted head in butter. We saw the butter sculpting a number of years ago.
Note that she's wearing a coat: the sculpting is done in a very cold glass kiosk where passers-by can watch. The princesses
are the daughters of Minnesota dairy farmers, and they get to keep their own sculpted head, I believe. (link)

Smen: a butter product from Morocco,
which I have not tried but would like to.

My favorite source of butter-rich recipes! (link)

AND...