Is Butter a Condiment?

Question: Is butter a condiment?

Answer: A condiment can be defined as a food flavor enhancer or a substance used to complement food.  However, there is some debate on what food products are actually condiments. Almost all of us can agree that ketchup, mustard, and relish are common condiments. But, what about butter?

Yes, butter is a condiment. It is used to enhance the flavor of many foods from vegetables to sandwiches and beyond. Go back in history to the first published sandwich in America. In the 1837 cookbook titled, Directions for Cookery, the author provides a recipe for a ham sandwich with the ingredients of bread, boiled ham, butter, and mustard. The butter and mustard were used as condiments to compliment the flavor of the ham and bread. Butter has been used as a condiment for a very long time.

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