Bruschetta, truffle kombu and salted caramel mocha — these aren’t dishes but homegrown artisanal butter flavours!

Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — In her splendid tome on food The Art of Eating, the late M.F.K. Fisher cautioned: “... butter, no matter how unlimited, is a precious substance not lightly to be wasted.”

While American, the redoubtable Fisher loved French food above all else so one assumes the butter she was referring to was French.

Today some of the most famous French butters include the golden Beurre d’Isigny and the hand-kneaded Beurre Bordier.

BYYOU founder Yap Vien Sze (left). Matcha Butter (right). — Picture courtesy of BYYOU
BYYOU founder Yap Vien Sze (left). Matcha Butter (right). — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

BYYOU founder Yap Vien Sze (left). Matcha Butter (right). — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

There is no shortage of butter nowadays, unlike the times of war that Fisher lived through but her advice remains sound: Butter is a precious substance that ought not be wasted.

Which does not stop us ravening consumers or wannabe gourmands from craving more novel forms of this most classic of dairy-based spreads.

This is what Yap Vien Sze, 24, is capitalising on with her range of artisanal flavoured butters. Marketed under the name BYYOU, Yap’s compound butters currently has six options: Matcha Butter, Pesto Butter, Bruschetta Butter, Salted Caramel Mocha Butter, Kombu Butter and Truffle Kombu Butter.

Blending and infusing butter with flavouring ingredients. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU
Blending and infusing butter with flavouring ingredients. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

Blending and infusing butter with flavouring ingredients. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

While she studied culinary arts during her university days, Yap is now working in graphic design and marketing for her day job. As with many recent F&B startups, BYYOU was something that began during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yap shares, “I started running BYYOU since 2020. Back then my business name was CreamandsugarbyV ... baking chiffon cakes and tiramisu. In 2021, I pivoted my business to making and selling artisanal flavoured butters and rebranded to BYYOU in late 2023.”

Chiffon cakes and tiramisu were commonplace then so it was hard to stand out from the crowd. “Artisanal flavoured butters”, while a mouthful that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, had more of a novelty factor to them.

There is a certain mystique to the process of blending and infusing butter with ingredients —Suisen matcha powder imported from Japan is used to make the Matcha Butter whilst fresh basil is a key component of the Pesto Butter — before piping the flavoured butter into trays to set.

Piping flavoured butter into trays to set. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU
Piping flavoured butter into trays to set. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

Piping flavoured butter into trays to set. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

Indeed, a trio — Bruschetta Butter, Salted Caramel Mocha Butter and Truffle Kombu Butter —have been popular flavours from the very beginning, according to Yap.

She says, “The Bruschetta Butter is unique because it transforms the classic flavour of an Italian bruschetta into a rich, creamy spread. Infused with oven dried tomatoes, confit garlic, fresh basil and garlic infused olive oil, this butter adds bold, zesty flavours.”

The Salted Caramel Mocha Butter has flecks of Maldon sea salt flakes, creating a jumble of sweet, salty and mild caffeine. Yap exclaims, “Some even say it tastes better than Nutella!”

Fresh basil is a key component of the Pesto Butter. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU
Fresh basil is a key component of the Pesto Butter. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

Fresh basil is a key component of the Pesto Butter. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

The closest BYYOU offers in terms of a signature product might well be the Truffle Kombu Butter. Yap says, “The organic dried kombu (Japanese kelp) is packed with an umami punch, perfectly balanced by the rich taste of Italian black truffle oil. It’s truly a decadent experience.”

On social media, Yap shares different ways customers can enjoy her compound butters: Truffle Kombu Butter might work well with mashed potatoes or popcorn; Bruschetta Butter would liven up a dish of plain pasta. For those with a sweet tooth, Salted Caramel Mocha Butter could add some sophistication to their pancakes or French toast.

It is important to note that BYYOU does not churn cream to make their own butters; instead Yap uses ready-made Danish unsalted butter that she then infuses or mixes with different ingredients to flavour them.

Tomatoes are oven dried to make the Bruschetta Butter. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU
Tomatoes are oven dried to make the Bruschetta Butter. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

Tomatoes are oven dried to make the Bruschetta Butter. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

She explains, “While currently we don’t make our butter from scratch due to kitchen space and machinery limitations, we’re excited to explore that in the future.”

When Yap first launched her business, it was — as expected with a lean startup — a small operation. She says, “I handled everything — from production to packaging and marketing. Since then, the business has grown, thanks to my amazing customers and the power of word-of-mouth on social media.”

The Salted Caramel Mocha Butter has flecks of Maldon sea salt flakes. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU
The Salted Caramel Mocha Butter has flecks of Maldon sea salt flakes. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

The Salted Caramel Mocha Butter has flecks of Maldon sea salt flakes. — Picture courtesy of BYYOU

Yap still has her hands full. She shares, “We are focused on changing our packaging from boxes to containers, as we’ve received feedback that our butters are hard to store. Next, we plan to expand our delivery to other states in Malaysia and to have our butters available on supermarket shelves.”

BYYOU

Web: https://byyoukl.com/

IG/ Tiktok: byyou.kl