17. A Frenchman was responsible for the creation of a substitute for butter
The idea of a Frenchman substituting an ersatz ingredient for butter is anathema, but it is nonetheless true. Napoleon III, disturbed by shortages of the real thing, challenged his chefs, scientists, chemists, and anybody else with an idea to create a substitute for butter which could be fed to the army and to the lower classes, freeing existing dairy supplies to be used by the more deserving upper class. The Emperor offered financial rewards and recognition, and French chemist Hippolyte Mege-Mouries presented a concoction which he called oleomargarine, and which, besides being edible, proved useful for greasing the axles of gun carriages and wagons. Still, its principal ingredient was beef fat, and its manufacture relied on a steady supply of the commodity.
During the Great Depression and the war which followed beef fat – indeed all fats – were in short supply and subject to rationing. Oleomargarine became manufactured entirely from vegetable oils. The resulting product was then treated with dyes to counter its unappetizing white color, similar to shortening (which is basically what it is) and flavorings to make it taste more like butter. Rationing, aggressive advertising of the product beginning in the 1950s, and concerns over animal fat in the diet all conspired to make margarine more popular than butter. Today’s oleomargarines and vegetable spreads can be traced back to the French Emperor’s desire to ensure there was sufficient butter available for his chefs and those of the upper class, while the lesser lights were provided a substitute sufficient to their presumably less discerning palates.