Cream of the crop among buttermilk choices
Creamy, tangy buttermilk is a versatile kitchen staple that comes in handy for all kinds of recipes.
Once a byproduct of the butter-making process, these days the buttermilk we find at the market is cultured - a process where milk is fermented with lactic acid bacteria or, in the case of Bulgarian-style, yogurt cultures.
Panelists found its Old World Style Bulgarian buttermilk ($2.79 for 1 quart at Andronico's) "thick, rich and tangy with nutty overtones," awarding it 80 points and a seat in the Hall of Fame.
[...] place went to Safeway's house brand, Lucerne ($1.99 for 1 quart).
Some panelists found Sunnyside Farms low-fat buttermilk ($1.37 for 1 quart at FoodMaxx) "well-balanced" and "refreshing," but others thought it was salty and somewhat chalky.
Panelists were Linda Anusasananan, food writer, San Mateo; John Carroll, cookbook author, San Francisco; Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer; Marc Halperin, culinary director, Center for Culinary Development, San Francisco; Rosemary Mark, recipe developer, Walnut Creek.