This book is taken from a series which introduces children to all aspects of everday foods. Taking the theme of a familiar food, each book examines in simple, clear text, the reasons why we eat it, how and where it is grown and produced, its nutritional value, who eats it and where, and its historical background. Each book contains simple step-by-step recipes which the reader can easily follow. Butter has been an important ingredient in our diets for thousands of years. It is a natural food and is produced without any artificial additives. This book looks at how butter used to be made, how it is mass produced today and shows a simple way to make your own butter. The emergence of the butter substitute - margarine - is explored, describing an easy test to see if we can really tell the difference. The problem of cholesterol in butter, its connection with heart disease and the necessity for a balanced diet are also examined. The author of this book has written several other books for the Food series, including Vegetables, Citrus Fruits, and Beans and Pulses.