Butter or Olive Oil??

Olive oil and Melted Butter

Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. However, all fats are not created equal. Olive oil and butter differ on several levels, including taste, fat content and cooking usage. You will also find that they also vary in their health values. While taste may be the deciding factor, other traits may influence your choice of whether you use olive oil or butter in a recipe.

You will find many similar uses between olive oil and butter. For example, either one is delicious on bread as a spread. You can also use either fat for pan-frying and as a baste for meats. However, while there is a small range of taste variation with butter, you will find that olive oils vary widely in taste depending upon their source and type. Olive oil is sold in various grades: extra-virgin, virgin or ordinary virgin. The difference between the grades lies in their acidity; for example, extra-virgin olive oils have a stronger flavor due to a higher acid content. Due to geographical and climate differences, you will also find variations in taste based on the oil's source. Several countries export olive oil, including Italy and Greece. The savory taste of olive oil may conflict with sweet baked goods, making butter a better choice.

From a cooking perspective, you will find subtle differences in olive oil and butter. Virgin olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, making it more useful for frying foods in. The smoke point is the temperature at which a fat source begins to smoke; exceeding this temperature can affect the flavor of the food. Extra-virgin olive oil has a lower smoking point than butter. Butter, on the other hand, lends a creamy texture and taste to foods cooked at a lower temperature, making it ideal for baking. Substituting olive oil for butter is a matter of taste.

I prefer cooking with butter, because in my eyes everything is better with butter lol, but as I stated above, olive oil is a healthier substitute and plays a great role in several of my recipes.

Butter	Olive Oil
1 teaspoon	¾ teaspoon
2 teaspoon	1 ½ teaspoons
1 Tablespoon	2 ½ teaspoons
2 Tablespoons	1 ½ Tablespoons
¼ cup	3 Tablespoons
1/3 cup	¼ cup
½ cup	1/3 cup
2/3 cup	½ cup
¾ cup	½ cup + 1 Tablespoon
1 cup	¾ cup
2 cups	1 ½ cup

Happy Eating