YouThukuli in Tamil Nadu is home to about a dozen dairy units that produce the famous Uthukuli butter.
Uthukuli butter has been in vogue since the 1950s. It is characterized by a slightly sour taste and lack of luster compared to other commercially available butters. It will spoil for about a month if kept at room temperature without coming into contact with water.
The uniqueness of Uthukuli butter lies in the milk of the buffalo and its fodder. Uthukuli being an arid region, buffaloes are fed mostly with drought resistant grasses and seeds. This makes its milk richer in fat content than regular cow’s milk.
However, all is not well as the dairy units are facing an existential crisis. About 20 years ago, there were more than 30 units in Uthukuli taluk. Now, there are only 12.