Margarine and halvarine: what’s the difference?
Did you know that margarine was invented as early as the nineteenth century? And that it was a harmful substance until the 1990s? And do you know where the name ‘halvarine’ comes from? Facts!
Margarine was invented at the request of Napoleon III. He was looking for a substitute for butter for the soldiers’ rations. The butter would go rancid on the way during military campaigns, which was bad for morale. A French inventor realized that butter is essentially animal fat, but spreadable, so he began experimenting with it. Beef fat, chopped-up cow udders and some skimmed milk, hey presto, and the margarine was ready.
No chopped-up udders
Nowadays, the butter substitute margarine is no longer made from chopped-up cow udders or other animal products, but from vegetable oil. Margarine mainly contains sunflower oil, palm oil and corn oil. The problem: that oil is liquid, while margarine needs to be spreadable. That’s why the oil is hardened, a chemical process.
Trans fats, boo
For years, (harmful) trans fats were created when the oil was hardened. Margarine producers only removed them from margarine in 1990. Bizarrely, margarine had a very healthy image for years, with advertising campaigns telling everyone how good it was for their heart and blood vessels, while in the meantime between one thousand and two thousand people died every year from the harmful effects of those trans fats.
Loetje does it
Margarine is used for frying and roasting. Even steak giant Loetje doesn’t cook its steaks in butter, but in Blue Band—in other words, margarine. You can also use margarine in cakes and pies as a substitute for butter. Some people say they can taste the difference, so test it yourself and see what you think.
Half the fat
And what about halvarine? It’s essentially margarine, but with half as much fat. It’s made from vegetable oil, just like margarine, and water. That’s also where the name comes from: half + margarine = halvarine. Because it contains water, it isn’t suitable for frying and roasting. Most people use halvarine as a spread on their bread.
Healthier than butter?
These days, neither margarine nor halvarine contains those nasty trans fats. They do contain vitamins A and D, which are added in the factory. Is it healthier than butter? That depends. Margarine contains just as much fat as butter, but a different kind: vegetable, unsaturated fats, while butter contains animal, saturated fats.
Read also:
- The secret ingredient for ultimate umami potatoes
- Is your brown sandwich painted?
- How to soften butter quickly
