Buttermilk is Back

There is a sign on the wall at the original Texas Inn that reads, “Buttermilk by the mug, deep enough to swim a horse…a very small horse.”

I was telling a group of new hires about the history of Texas Inn and the story behind the sign. Of course, they didn’t get the joke. Apparently, what was humorous almost 100 years ago isn’t today. I asked all five if they’d ever drank buttermilk. All said no. It’s not surprising.

Although antacids like Tums (1928) and Rolaids (1926) were invented before the Texas Inn opened in 1935, neither product was widely used. Buttermilk, for most folks, was the cure-all 100 years ago. Eat some greasy food? Wash it down with an ice-cold mug of buttermilk. Presto.

In my life, I’ve seen more people popping Pepcid and other pills and drinking less buttermilk. (The last person I knew who drank it every day was my Driver’s Ed teacher and middle school basketball coach. Mr. Cole always seemed to have a nervous stomach. I wonder if it was my driving or my insistence on shooting deep 3-pointers?)

Although Americans don’t drink much buttermilk, we apparently love foods made with buttermilk; ranch dressing, cornbread, pancakes, biscuits, cakes, soups, and the list goes on and on. And according to industry folks, buttermilk is back, baby. In the last four years, global buttermilk sales have grown from $4.2 billion to $5.07 billion. The industry is growing about 6.2% per year. Why are people drinking more buttermilk these days?

It’s in the news. Buttermilk is gaining recognition for its probiotic content, lower fat compared to whole milk, and potential health benefits like aiding digestion and potentially lowering blood pressure. 

So that means we are learning what our grandparents already knew; natural foods and home remedies are oftentimes better than popping pills for all of our ills.

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