Difference Between Cheese And Butter

Butter toast or cheese sandwiches are the most preferred breakfast by many of us these days. But what if you have to choose between the two? It’s a tough choice because both have their unique characteristics far from each other. So let’s talk about their distinction in terms of processing, nutritional value, availability, application, taste and other characteristics.

Cheese and butter are beloved food items that are used in a variety of ways to add flavor and richness to any dish. Although cheese and butter are both dairy products, they are made using different methods. Due to this difference, they greatly differ from each other in terms of taste. While cheese is made by coagulation of milk protein called casein, butter is made by separating the fats from the buttermilk or milk. So, basically cheese is a curdled form of milk and butter is the cream of the milk. Cheese is comparatively very low in fats than butter.

What is Butter?

Butter is a food product that is made by separating the butterfat from the buttermilk through the process ofchurningfresh or fermented cream or milk. It often is made from cow’s milk, but can also be made from other mammals’ milk such as goats, buffalo, yaks, and sheep.

In the process of making butter, the milk is fermented first, and when it is totally fermented, the layer is separated from the milk layer and stored in a container where it is then mixed with milk protein to give a good nutritional value. The milk layer which is separated is called the Buttermilk layer, which has a high content of fats. Once the butter is made, a small amount of salt is added to it to give a flavor, sometimes salt is not added, and it is sold as an original taste.

There are four main types of butter; cultured butter, clarified butter and ghee, salted and unsalted butter, and vegan butter. The texture of the butter is generally soft. It can be hard when it is refrigerated. Butter is commonly used as a spread for bread, as a condiment on cooked vegetables, and in cooking.

What is cheese?

Cheese is a food product that is derived from milk. It is made by separating milk solids from milk liquids, that is, milk fats and buttermilk. Then, milk fats are mixed with casein present in milk and water (and sometimes salt). In the end, we obtain a butter stick. The milk used to make butter can be fermented or unfermented. Normally, the butter we buy from grocery stores is made from unfermented milk.

Cheese is generally made through the following major processes: curdling, draining, pressing and ripening. At the beginning, the milk is curdled to separate the curd component from the liquid one. This may require a lactic starter, rennet or both. After curdling, draining removes the liquid content form the curd. Pressing makes use of forms or mold in which the curds are pressed. These molds expel moisture, and as the result, the cheese becomes drier and firmer.

Ripening or maturation stage is all about setting the right moisture, temperature and oxygen to effect microbes present in the cheese. These microbes work to create a unique texture, aroma and other attributes of the cheese.

There are several types of cheese. Right from cow, sheep, buffalo, to camel, and goat milk, cheese are can be made from almost all sources of milk. Cheese also comes in a variety of flavors and additives that is added to them. In the production stage, various kinds of flavors can be added to give a flavor to the Cheese. Cheese is used in many food items to add flavor to the food. It is used in toppings when it is melted.

Butter vs Cheese: Key Differences

Key Takeaways

• The main difference between cheese and butter is that cheese is made by the coagulation of milk casein, while butter is made by separating the butterfat from the buttermilk.
• Butter is made from the cream of fresh milk, whereas cheese is made from curd.
• The fats used for making butter are separated by centrifugal force, while the proteins for cheese are separated via enzymes.
• Cheese is commonly used in pizza, pasta or as a toast spread. The milk of goat, cow, buffalo and sheep can be used for the production of cheese.
• Generally, butter is used in cooking or baking. It can also be used for greasing the baking tray.
• The taste of cheese is slightly creamy and sweet, while the butter is somewhat sticky-sour.
• Cheese is very low in fats whereas butter is mostly just fat because churning accumulates all the fats from the milk.
• Cheese is richer in all B complex vitamins, vitamin D, and all minerals, whereas butter is higher in fat-soluble vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K and choline.
• Butter is denser, containing only 18% water, whereas cheese consists of 37% water.
• Cheese helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis because it has a higher percentage of calcium whereas butter helps to build healthier muscles.
• Cheese contains 366 kilocalorie per 100 grams as compared to 717 366 kilocalorie per 100 grams of butter.
• Cheese contains more protein than butter.
• Cheese generally comes in low varieties and flavors as compared to Butter which has many varieties and flavors.
• Eating cheese keeps the stomach full for a long time, but butter gets digested quickly. Therefore, cheese is recommended for people losing weight as it has high satiety value, keeps us full for longer and curb hunger pangs.