🧈 Ghee

Ghee is the clarified butter of the Indian subcontinent: almost pure milk fat, with the water boiled off and the protein residue removed. The Codex Alimentarius defines ghee as a product made only from milk, cream or butter, with a particularly well-developed flavour and texture; it has to contain at least 99.6% milk fat. ²

The name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "bright", and ghee is already mentioned in the Vedas. According to FAO, about 90% of Indian ghee is still made the traditional way: butter (makkhan) is first churned from soured whole milk, known as dahi, and then slowly heated to 110–120 °C with constant stirring. As the water evaporates, the residue turns brown and a nutty aroma develops; the clear fat is then poured off and strained through cloth. ⁴

Ghee from cow's milk is deep yellow, and from buffalo milk white with a yellowish or greenish tinge ⁴. Its main use is frying. It has an advantage over butter: the very low moisture holds back most microorganisms. According to FAO, it keeps 6–8 months, and by some reports up to two years ⁶. India accounts for nearly 40% of the world's butter and ghee ⁶.

Ghee or butter? Butter contains water and some milk protein, while ghee is at least 99.6% milk fat, so it keeps longer and suits frying better. Ghee or clarified butter? Ghee is the Indian form of it: traditionally the butter is heated slowly to 110–120 °C until the water evaporates and the residue browns, which gives the nutty aroma. Ghee or smen? Smen, from the Maghreb, is salted and aged for months and tastes sharp and cheesy, whereas ghee is used fresh.

Look for the name «ghee» (also written ghi, or sold as clarified butter) and an ingredient list that shows only milk fat. Under India's FSSAI standard ghee has at least 99.5% milk fat and at most 0.5% moisture, with no added colours, flavourings or preservatives. Cow's-milk ghee is deep yellow, buffalo-milk ghee white with a yellowish or greenish tinge. It is sold in jars and tins at supermarkets, Asian grocers and health-food shops.

Why it matters to you. Ghee is concentrated fat: according to USDA, 900 kcal per 100 g ¹, and about 60% of milk fat's fatty acids are saturated ⁶. So use it sparingly. When choosing ghee, check that the label shows only milk fat: under India's FSSAI standard it has at least 99.5% milk fat and no more than 0.5% moisture, with no added colours, flavourings or preservatives ³.