There are people who add butter to their coffee, and to everyone’s surprise, many baristas approve of it.

What’s most curious is not the oleate boom, but the fact that so many people are obsessed with its supposed benefits.

A few months ago, Starbucks surprised half the world with a new line of coffee called Oleato. And no wonder: even in those countries of the world where people consume a tablespoon of oil per day, the idea sounded very strange. However, people have tried it and (experts say) it works.

Although experts also say that making coffee with donuts is a good idea.

A drink with a little more history than it seems. Although Oleato is only available in select stores in North America, Asia and parts of Europe (France, Italy and the UK), the idea goes far beyond Starbucks and its advertising campaigns. In Jaén, for example, Juanma Perez (barista at Vander Coffee) has been making “aovecino” for a long time.

However, this is something relatively new. First of all, because although it is not difficult; It’s also not easy to fit in. It can be added to black coffee (though it doesn’t change the taste significantly), but all indications are that the most recommended way to do this is to emulsify the butter with milk. This not only guarantees the flavor of the butter, but also provides a creamier texture.

So much so that is it worth introducing emulsified milk into our daily lives? I wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s enough to cause a minor earthquake in the barista world.

Because the question is… why take it? And perhaps this is the most interesting part: As always, when we talk about products with a reputation for health benefits, the Internet is filled with articles, tutorials and YouTube videos about the benefits of drinking buttered coffee. But the truth is that there are none. At least they are not obvious.

Yes, there are good quality fats included in the drink, they also contain more antioxidants or may have some beneficial effect on intestinal transit. But we are talking about such small quantities and such limited consumption that their impact on the overall diet is minimal.

An obsession with justifying things to oneself. We usually cannot determine the health effects of a product. And even more so if we do not have information about the nutrition, lifestyle and social and sanitary condition of a given person.

Moreover, if dietary guidelines have become a real battleground, it is because we are obsessed with finding excuses for our consumption habits, even when there is no need for it. Because do we really need to justify that drinking buttered coffee is healthy? Isn’t it enough that we like it or want to try it?

It’s not that there’s nothing wrong with making excuses for what we do. But it’s good to realize that following the “latest available nutritional research” is risky precisely because so much of it is designed to confuse us.

Image | Clay Banks – Roberta Sorge

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