Calamari index? It's butter in China

In a city where the powerful pungency of lamb pervades hotpot eateries and homes every winter, it is information I need time to seriously mull over.

Happily, our family's craving for "real bread" has now been sated, thanks to a friend who is an artisan baker who cut her teeth on New York loaves. I have also located French cheeses with names like Beijing Grey, Beijing Blue and Beijing Red. My satisfaction is complete with the discovery of unsalted French butter, which has since rebooted long-forgotten baking skills.

In the five years we've been back, the capital city's rating on the Butter Index has climbed a steep curve.

Most large supermarkets now carry butter on their dairy shelves, and those that still do not are mostly located in areas where the psychographics tend to reflect lower incomes and taste preferences.

In the increasing numbers of splendid restaurants here, that little plate of butter that comes with the bread basket is a good indicator of culinary excellence. Flavored butters, French butter and little saucers of freshly-pressed EVOO are standard offerings, and diners seem to have overcome their aversion to the "smell" of yellow oil.

Outside Beijing, cities like Shanghai and the southern precincts of Guangzhou and Shenzhen have already rung the bell on the index. Hong Kong, of course, has never had any problems scoring full marks.

Even in Kunming, where the spouse and I like to call home one month out of every 12, the larger French and American megamarts satisfy our butter cravings. Kunming is surprisingly Westernized, with a large expat community that keeps the demand for butter high.

Forget the squid. Bread may be the staff of life, but the butter on the bread ... now that is the true measure of how China is catching up, and fast.

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