In terms of why you need it, buttermilk adds spice and richness to all types of dishes, both sweet and savory. It’s great for salad dressings, dips, vanilla pudding, and even mashed potatoes. When baked, it adds tenderness and brightens the dough while driving the fermentation process. His ability to tenderize meat is equally impressive
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Used as a marinade, the high acid content (thanks to lactic acid) helps retain moisture. It allows extra flavors to penetrate chicken, pork, fish, and seafood. I once asked a restaurant about their secret for such tender squids. The answer was to soak it in buttermilk
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Many southern chefs won’t even consider roasting chicken without salting it with buttermilk. It is responsible for the crispy, crunchy exterior and the moist and juicy flesh
on the inside.