At the test kitchens of At Home With Kayla Price, we decided to do a butter taste test. We compared traditional unsalted butter (Challenge Brand) to European Style unsalted butter (Plugra Brand).

Now, if you have been to our test kitchen, you know that this is totally unscientific. It is all qualitative data.

The European style butter was good. It had a similar look, texture and color as the traditional butter, although it did come in a larger block.

We taste tested on homemade bread. Both butters tasted great on the bread. The European style had a peppery taste. Both taste testers noted it.

The European style butter smelled more buttery than the Challenge butter.

After doing some internet research, I found that the European style is normally darker yellow, but we did not see that.

Research also showed that European style is preferred in baking. I wondered about the peppery taste in cookies and pie crusts. Although I did not find, in my research, that that was a characteristic taste of European style, possibly just this brand or lot. The peppery flavor was great on the bread, though.

Would I recommend European style butter? Probably, just because you should try it.  Would I recommend you convert to only using European style butter? Maybe not.  I would like to try baking with it, and I would like to try some other brands.  Plugra was the only brand my local grocery store carried.

Bottom line, it was good, but it needs more research!  And have I got the recipes for that!