Butter Looks Different Based on Where You Live in America — Here’s Why (Exclusive)

• Podcast host Alex Schmidt wowed thousands of TikTok users with his video detailing how butter is packaged differently depending on where it’s produced in the United States
• He explained that East Coast butter comes in long, thinner slabs known as “Elgin sticks,” while butter found west of the Rockies is short and firm, hence its nickname “Western Stubby.”
• Schmidt spoke with PEOPLE about why he thinks people are so fascinated by his trivia

Butter packaging may seem simple, but you can learn a lot from what you throw away.

The Secretly incredibly fascinating Podcast host Alex Schmidt revealed a little-known history about the dairy industry on TikTok, and his seemingly trivial trivia caught the attention of 1.2 million viewers on Instagram.

In his now-viral video, which currently has over 96,000 likes, Schmidt explained that butter sticks are sold in two different forms depending on where they are produced.

If you live east of the Rocky Mountains, he says, you’re probably used to buying the longer, thinner sticks of butter known as “Elgin sticks.” West of the Rockies, you’ll find a shorter, wider stick, aptly named “Western Stubby.”

Schmidt took a deep dive into the reasoning behind the buttery varieties, explaining how they earned their “wacky names,” starting with the longer bars, which were nicknamed after the town of Elgin, Illinois.

“Elgin companies first packed butter in wooden tubs before developing machines to cut it into sticks,” he summarized. Schmidt continued, “It was America’s form of butter stick until the 1960s, when California began to overtake the Midwest in dairy production.”

Butter.

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Newer California butter centers have built larger slicers, “and they’ve embraced the new Western chunky shape,” he added in the video. According to Schmidt’s research, the East Coast people “refused to switch” to the West Coast and made new machines for their famous Elgin stick.

Tiny details about butter’s history sent TikTok users into a frenzy, many of whom flocked to the comments to advocate their side of dairy history.

“Now I feel strangely loyal to my long stick of butter,” wrote one person. Another agreed: “I’ve lived on both sides. Long is better.”

Butter.

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Amidst some conflicting arguments over which shape wins, many commenters shared their appreciation for Schmidt’s niche fun fact. The social media sensation actually built her following by revealing fascinating truths about parts of everyday life.

Schmidt tells PEOPLE that his podcast is “all about why seemingly ordinary things in our lives (like butter) are secretly incredibly fascinating,” hence the show’s title.

He’s supplemented his podcast episodes with a series of short, deep-dive explainer videos, covering topics like the history of the & sign, why there are jokers in playing cards, and why stop signs are octagons. The TikToker believes his fans are drawn to such trivia for a variety of reasons, from sheer curiosity to being afraid to ask.

Alex Schmidt.

@alexschmidty

“Some people find it convenient to discover a different way that life in America is completely different. For others, this is the answer to a minor mystery in their lives,” he explains, adding that he was personally confused by the “chubby-shaped” sticks of butter after moving to California. “I assumed it was something about my particular store, until years later when I was researching butter for our podcast.”

Between his podcast and social media accounts, Schmidt delights in enlightening his followers on the historical depths behind seemingly simple concepts and ordinary objects. If his butter-based curiosity was once piqued at a California grocery store, he figures others might want to learn something new, too.

“I’m thrilled that we can answer that question for people across the country,” he tells PEOPLE. “Especially because it’s the kind of question that people would be embarrassed to ask out loud. We don’t ask burning questions about butter!”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education