The secret is that whereas average stateside butters contain 80 percent butterfat, this version — from Vermont’s Green Mountains — reaches wonderful culinary heights with butterfat content of 86 percent. (Everything in moderation, as Julia Child says.) The result is flakier, more deeply flavored pastries.

Ooh la la! Herve Riou, a French chef who consults for restaurants in New York, had déjà vu when he first tasted this stuff. It took him back to his youth in the Breton countryside, where he would taste " beautiful " fresh-churned butter. Vermont Cultured Butter, sold in an eight-ounce roll ($3.99) or a 16-ounce square, comes wrapped in a protective plastic film and butcher-style paper. (The packaging evokes shopping in France, where fresh butter is proudly displayed at crémeries or cheese shops and the amount is sold and wrapped according to the buyer’s needs.) It’s made with about one-sixth the amount of salt found in standard salted versions, which further enhances the buttery flavor. And, since it’s also made with less moisture, you can sauté and sear without fear.

Worthy of an esteemed award from the American Cheese Society. Worthy of you. No matter what your culture.

Available at Cardullo’s, 6 Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 491-8888; Zathmary’s, 299 Harvard Street, Brookline, (617) 731-8900; Savenor’s Market, 160 Charles Street, Boston, (617) 723-6328; the Seasonal Table, 61 Mass Ave, Boston, (617) 236-7979; and Wild Oats and Bread & Circus locations.