At the first sight of Buttercups in the spring, one of my daughter's favorite things to do is pick them and test each one of us (multiple times) to see if we like butter. She will also stick one under her own chin and excitedly ask us "Do I like butter???" As they can be found in various forms all over the world, I wonder how many other cultures test for affinity for butter as well?
This common plant has been used medicinally by Native Americans as well. The Abenaki smash the flowers and leaves and sniff them for headaches. The Cherokee use it as a poultice for abscesses and use the juice as a sedative.They also cook the leaves and eat them as greens.