What’s the Difference Between East Coast Butter and West Coast Butter?
Shocker: butter comes in different shapes based on where you live.
Challenge Dairy
Perhaps you've noticed that butter comes in a couple of shapes and sizes. Sometimes it's long and skinny, and other times it's fatter and shorter. What's going on? The style and shape of various foods can vary regionally, and butter is no exception. As a matter of fact, East Coast butter is a different shape than West Coast Butter. To shed more light on the matter, we consulted Lisa Totah, the Marketing Director at Challenge Dairy Products, Inc., which produces both East Coat and West Coast butters.
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East Coast Butter Vs. West Coast Butter
East Coast and West Coast butter are produced in the same way and weigh the same, but the butter is cut into shapes by different machines. East Coast butter typically comes in long sticks, while West Coast butter comes in shorter, fatter blocks.
“East Coast butter sticks are 4.8 inches long and 1.3 inches wide. They are typically sold stacked two-by-two in elongated cube-shaped boxes,” Totah explains. “West Coast butter sticks are 3.125 inches long and 1.5 inches wide and are typically sold stacked two-by-two in a rectangle carton.”
Why Do East Coast Butter and West Coast Butter Come in Different Sizes?
To understand why East Coast and West Coast butter sticks come in different sizes, we’ll need a quick history lesson. “The machines used to first process and pack butter were purchased in the 1920’s and 1930’s. At that time, the East Coast dominated dairy production. While the West Coast had butter cooperatives, the industry wasn’t at the caliber it is today,” Totah explains. “They began ramping up production in the 1960s and by 1975, California was the second leading dairy production in the country. By that time, the original Elgin machines used for processing and packing the longer, skinnier sticks of butter were no longer available. They instead purchased new machinery that cut the sticks into shorter, fatter sticks.”
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What Are the Nicknames for East Coast Butter and West Coast Butter?
East Coast butter sticks are called Elgins after the equipment used by the Elgin Butter Tub Company for processing and packaging butter. West Coast butter sticks are called Western Stubbies because of their shorter, fatter shape. Totah notes that West Coast butter sticks are commonly called Westerns.
Are The Two Sizes of Butter Still Made Today?
Yes, there are a few brands that still make both East Coast and West Coast butter, including Challenge Dairy and Land O’ Lakes. As national dairy brands dominate grocery store shelves, many opt to produce only the Elgin-style sticks.
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How To Shop For a Butter Dish By Coast
Totah advises that most butter dishes are designed to fit Elgin-style sticks, but that they can also accommodate Western Stubbies if they are wide enough. If you live on the West Coast, a square butter dish is a good bet. When in doubt, check the dimensions of the butter dish against the different sticks’ specifications.
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