Bananas brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
buttermilk
+ Add to WorkbenchAbout this ingredient
The tangy, acidic liquid originally left after churning cream to butter — now commercially produced by adding lactic acid bacteria to skim milk. Its acidity te…
27 pairings
Editorial
Flavor profile
Traditional buttermilk was a byproduct of butter-making; modern cultured buttermilk is produced by fermenting low-fat milk with Lactococcus lactis bacteria, creating lactic acid that lowers the pH and produces diacetyl — the same compound in brown butter — that gives buttermilk its characteristic slightly buttery, complex note. In baking, buttermilk's acidity reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide for leavening; it also partially denatures gluten in flour, tenderizing the crumb — the reason buttermilk pancakes, biscuits, and cakes are notably more tender than their non-acidic equivalents. In fried chicken preparations, buttermilk marinade tenderizes the chicken and the acidified surface holds coating more effectively, producing a better crust. As a beverage or in cold preparations (salad dressings, cold soups like vichyssoise), its cool, tangy character provides refreshment and acidity where cream would be too rich.
Pairings
Flavor relationships
Pairs well with
bananas
blackberries
blueberries
cherries
cinnamon
dates
ginger
herbs
honey
lemon
lime
maple syrup
mayonnaise
mint
nectarines
nutmeg
oats
orange
peaches
plums
raisins
raspberries
rhubarb
sour cream
strawberries
sugar, brown
walnuts
bananas
Bananas brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
blackberries
Blackberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
blueberries
Blueberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
cherries
Cherries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
cinnamon
Cinnamon adds warmth and aromatic contrast to cultured tang, giving the pairing more dimension.
dates
Dates brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
ginger
Ginger adds warmth and aromatic contrast to cultured tang, giving the pairing more dimension.
herbs
Herbs gives cultured tang a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
honey
Honey draws out the sweeter side of cultured tang while adding roundness and dessert-friendly depth.
lemon
Lemon brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
lime
Lime brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
maple syrup
Maple syrup draws out the sweeter side of cultured tang while adding roundness and dessert-friendly depth.
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise adds richness and carries the aromatic side of cultured tang, making the pairing feel fuller and more cohesive.
mint
Mint gives cultured tang a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
nectarines
Nectarines brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
nutmeg
Nutmeg adds warmth and aromatic contrast to cultured tang, giving the pairing more dimension.
oats
Oats complements buttermilk by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to cultured tang.
orange
Orange brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
peaches
Peaches brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
plums
Plums brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
raisins
Raisins brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
raspberries
Raspberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
rhubarb
Rhubarb brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
sour cream
Sour cream adds richness and carries the aromatic side of cultured tang, making the pairing feel fuller and more cohesive.
strawberries
Strawberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
sugar, brown
Sugar, brown draws out the sweeter side of cultured tang while adding roundness and dessert-friendly depth.
walnuts
Walnuts adds toasted richness and gentle bitterness that make cultured tang taste rounder and more substantial.
Blackberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Blueberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Cherries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Cinnamon adds warmth and aromatic contrast to cultured tang, giving the pairing more dimension.
Dates brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Ginger adds warmth and aromatic contrast to cultured tang, giving the pairing more dimension.
herbs
Herbs gives cultured tang a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
Honey draws out the sweeter side of cultured tang while adding roundness and dessert-friendly depth.
lemon
Lemon brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
lime
Lime brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
Maple syrup draws out the sweeter side of cultured tang while adding roundness and dessert-friendly depth.
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise adds richness and carries the aromatic side of cultured tang, making the pairing feel fuller and more cohesive.
Mint gives cultured tang a fresh herbal lift, keeping the pairing aromatic instead of heavy.
Nectarines brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Nutmeg adds warmth and aromatic contrast to cultured tang, giving the pairing more dimension.
Oats complements buttermilk by adding contrast, support, or aromatic depth to cultured tang.
orange
Orange brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
Peaches brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Plums brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Raisins brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Raspberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
Rhubarb brings acidity that cuts through cultured tang, making the pairing taste brighter and more focused.
Sour cream adds richness and carries the aromatic side of cultured tang, making the pairing feel fuller and more cohesive.
Strawberries brings fruit sweetness and acidity that lift cultured tang and keep the pairing lively.
sugar, brown
Sugar, brown draws out the sweeter side of cultured tang while adding roundness and dessert-friendly depth.
Walnuts adds toasted richness and gentle bitterness that make cultured tang taste rounder and more substantial.