Carries flavour and aroma — including saffron — better than most fats.
Small amounts make plain grains and vegetables more satisfying.
Kareh is churned cream. On the Persian table it appears in small quantities and in specific places: a slick on hot bread with honey or jam, stirred through haleem, folded into saffron rice at the end. It is distinct from ghee (roghan-e kareh) which has had the milk solids removed, and from kashk, which is fermented whey.
Butter is largely saturated fat, so quantity is the whole question. Used as flavour rather than as the cooking medium, it stays a small part of the day.
Chapter 2 of 11
In Persian Life
Warm sangak, butter and honey is one of the simplest and most loved Iranian breakfasts.
Persian temperament: Hot & Moist (1st degree). Read as warming and moistening, given to thin, dry people and to anyone recovering from illness.
Traditionally read as warm and moist and considered nourishing and softening, particularly for dryness and for convalescence.
Chapter 3 of 11
What It Holds and What Studies Show
Primary compounds
Butyrate; conjugated linoleic acid; vitamin A.
Other notable constituents
Minerals: Calcium (trace)
What studies in people show
Butter intake showed a small or neutral association with heart and blood vessel disease across pooled cohort studies (a study that follows a group of people over time), unlike processed meat fats.Moderate evidence
Chapter 4 of 11
Using It in the Kitchen
Clarified into roghan to remove the milk solids, which is what makes it keep without a fridge.
Melted over hot rice at the last moment rather than cooked into it.
Cultured before churning in the traditional method, which is where the tang comes from.
Spread thinly on warm sangak with honey or feta.
Stir a spoonful through haleem before serving.
Melt with bloomed saffron and pour over rice at the end.
Chapter 5 of 11
Who Should Be Careful
General caution:
High in saturated fat — keep to small amounts if you're managing cholesterol.
Allergy:
Contains milk protein and traces of lactose; unsuitable for a milk allergy.
General caution:
Salted butter adds meaningful sodium when used generously.
Chapter 6 of 11
Medicines and Interactions
Medication interaction:
Statins — No direct interaction, but a high saturated fat intake works against what the statin is prescribed to do. (low concern)
Medication interaction:
Warfarin — Butter carries vitamin K2. The amount is small, but a sudden large change in intake is the kind of thing that shifts INR (the blood test that shows how fast your blood clots). (low concern)
Chapter 7 of 11
Pregnancy, Children and Older Adults
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Fine in ordinary amounts, and a useful source of vitamin A. Butter from unpasteurised milk is the one to avoid, because of listeria.
Children
Children:
Children under two need fat and butter is a reasonable source. Cow's milk protein allergy is the thing to watch, since it survives churning.
Older adults
Older adults:
Appetite often falls with age and butter makes plain food worth eating. Balance that against heart advice rather than treating either rule as absolute.
Chapter 8 of 11
What It Goes With
Spice:
Saffron
Bloomed saffron stirred into melted butter is how the colour gets onto a plate of rice.
Spice:
Cardamom
Cardamom in butter is the base of Persian halva and of most sweet breads.
Grain:
Rice
A spoon of melted butter over the finished rice, never stirred in. It should sit on top and run down.
Chapter 9 of 11
What It Goes With: More Pairings
Honey:
Honey
Butter and honey on warm bread is a Persian breakfast and needs nothing else.
Fruit:
Barberry
Barberries are warmed in butter for thirty seconds before they go on rice. Butter is the medium.
Pairing:
Walnut
Butter carries walnut's bitterness better than oil does in a bread or a halva.
Chapter 10 of 11
Through the Year
Summer:
Summer
Used sparingly. Persian summer food leans on yogurt and oil instead.
Autumn:
Autumn
Back in the kitchen as the cooking turns to slow pots and rice.
Winter:
Winter
Clarified butter over rice and in halva. This is the season butter was stored for.
Chapter 11 of 11
Questions People Ask
Is clarified butter better for you than ordinary butter?
It keeps far longer and has a higher smoke point, so it suits high-heat cooking. Nutritionally it's more concentrated fat, not less, because the water and milk solids have gone.
Can I use butter if I am lactose intolerant?
Usually yes. Butter is almost all fat and carries very little lactose. Clarified butter has essentially none. A milk protein allergy is a different matter and rules butter out.
How much butter is reasonable in a day?
There is no single number. A tablespoon over rice or on bread sits comfortably inside most dietary advice. Half a block through a week's cooking doesn't.