Butter of Europe at Horeca Lebanon 2019
Aimed at highlighting the use, benefits and gastronomic value of European butter, especially French butter, HORECA Lebanon 2019 created the ‘Butter Kitchen’, which welcomed more than 4,000 guests and garnered phenomenal feedback. This Butter of Europe campaign also saw members of the French dairy board and European Union representatives in attendance.
To further draw on the merits of such products, an exclusive dinner prepared by two chefs entitled, ‘Dîner à quatre mains’ was organized at the newly opened Maroun Chedid Ritage Signature restaurant. During the event, Chef Chedid, together with Chef Stephane Loison prepared a unique dinner celebrating gastronomic butter in each course. From revisited traditional French recipes such as frog legs with potato mousseline and parsley to innovative creations like sumac butter and scallops with citrus, butter was used to bring-out and enhance the flavors of all prepared dishes.
During the four-day exhibition, renowned Chefs Charles Soussin from France and Sleiman Khawand from Lebanon executed amazing recipes live at the exhibition’s stand to offer visitors the chance to taste the best European butter has to offer.
Both chefs demonstrated the superiority of European butter by using it in different ways. Chef Sleiman recreated traditional Lebanese recipes where butter is an essential ingredient in sweet and savory recipes like pistachios maamoul or chickpea fatteh with butter. Chef Charles Soussin used butter by employing classic French dishes like salted caramel with fruits, in addition to creating some inventively-flavored butters. Professionals visiting the stand were able to try seaweed and curcuma butter as well as a black truffle butter.
Speaking at the event, Laurent Damiens, Chief Operating Officer of CNIEL (Centre national interprofessionnel de l’économie laitière) said, “Butter from Europe and France is hundred percent natural, has a unique yellow color and taste that comes from the quality of our milk and cream. We are glad to see that these butters are used all over the Middle East and Levant region and in turn allow chefs to further express their creativity.”
About European butter
More than 95% of chefs in France and Europe say that butter is essential for cooking and baking, especially for its flavor. In the kitchen, it tells a story, it leads the way. New uses have emerged, disrupting classic recipes and defining future trends. Its malleable texture enables one to create audacious fantasies. This is why it is now widely used to create highly-diverse dishes ranging from simple to extremely sophisticated… This product is more than just an ingredient, it is a flavor enhancer and a source of inspiration that will never grow old.
