Ghee is a pure, butter-derived fat that offers an array of healthy, nutritional benefits. Originally created thousands of years ago in India, it is believed ghee was first made as a way to preserve butter fat in the hot climate.
In the late 20th century, saturated fats began to fall out of favor. Companies promoted vegetable and seed oils as a better alternative for cooking. Today, nutritionists and chefs agree that ghee is a healthy fat that not only offers an array of vitamins and antioxidants, it also helps the body absorb nutrients of foods combined with ghee.
As whole and natural foods are making their way back to the preferred way to cook and eat, ghee’s popularity is growing. Let’s take a look at why it’s different from other cooking oils, what makes it different from regular butter, and the many benefits ghee brings into a healthy lifestyle.
Cooking Oils
With so many cooking oils to choose from, what makes ghee stand out among the rest? First, let’s look at other typical cooking oil options.
Vegetable Oils
Oils made from corn, soybeans, grapeseed, sunflower, rice bran, or canola are not true vegetable fats. These contain an excessive amount of omega-6 fats, which are linked to an array of health risks including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Less Ideal for: Anyone seeking to incorporate healthy fats into recipes. Not only do the industrial processing methods strip any residual nutrients from these oils; harmful free radicals are released when used in many cooking methods.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is extracted from the green, fleshy part of the fruit rather than the seed.
Ideal for: Cooking at a high temperature, as like ghee, avocado oil has a high smoke point (between 500° and 520°F). It is rich in monounsaturated fat, but lacks the vitamin diversity ghee offers.
Less Ideal for: Adding robust flavor to recipes. Avocado oil also lacks flavor, offering a completely neutral taste that may work well in some dishes, but does not deliver the richness or velvety texture ghee brings to the table.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Quality olive oil is a healthy monounsaturated fat that does offer health benefits.
Ideal for: Using as a healthy fat. Similar to ghee, it contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Less Ideal for: High temperatures and aligned flavors. Unlike ghee, extra virgin olive oil has a very low smoke point of around 350°F. Its flavor profile is also very different: typically robust and peppery, making it undesirable for certain dishes.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has its own unique attributes, bringing a milder flavor than extra virgin olive oil and is a more pure fat than any vegetable or seed oil.
Ideal for: A vegan butter substitute that brings subtle tropical flavors to baking or when using as a spread.
Less Ideal for: Low-fat diets or high-temperature cooking. Coconut oil is 90% saturated fat, while ghee is only about 50-60% saturated fat. The smoke point of virgin coconut oil is also much lower, about 350°F, making it useful only for baking or gentle sautéing.
Butter Variations
If ghee is made from butter, why not just use … butter? Butter can be found in several different forms. The purest of those is ghee, particularly high-quality ghee like we make here at Ahara Rasa: cooked in small batches over an open flame. There are many similarities, but each form brings unique qualities. Here is an outline of the differences:
Butter
Made from milk solids, butter is a very rich, creamy, slightly-sweet fat.
Ideal for: Typically used for baking or low-temperature sautéing.
Less Ideal for: Contains milk solids, so it is not available to those avoiding dairy products. Its very low smoke point of about 300° prohibits many uses.
Clarified Butter
Made from melting butter, then straining to remove milk solids to result in a clear, smooth, neutral-flavored fat.
Ideal for: Typically used for emulsion sauces or higher-temperature sautéing. It contains virtually no milk solids, and can sometimes be tolerated by dairy-sensitive individuals.
Less Ideal for: Recipes benefiting from the rich, nutty flavor of ghee, or those seeking a holistic product with more versatile uses.
AMF Ghee
Most mass-produced ghees are made from Anhydrous Milk Fat (AMF) rather than butter. The milk is placed into a steam kettle, spun in a giant centrifuge to separate the solids, then poured into plastic jars while still hot. The result is a bland semisolid butter oil.
Less Ideal for: Those seeking a pure product with rich flavor, a true cultured product, or integration of ghee as part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle.
Ahara Rasa Ghee
Our ghee is cultured before rendering over heat in small batches over an open flame. This signature process offers a rich, warm, pure butter fat. To begin our signature process, we source only grass-fed butter from farmers using the best practices– the highest quality possible.
Ideal for: High-temperature cooking, deep frying, as a curry base, or a multitude of other uses. All milk solids are removed, making ghee a shelf-stable and lactose-free fat. Our ghee suits a variety of diets and cooking styles – Keto, Paleo, Whole30, DASH, and Ayurveda. Ahara Rasa ghee removes all milk solids and detectable water, making it lactose-free and shelf-stable for at least two years.
Ayurveda and Healthy Benefits
An ancient holistic medicinal system based in India, dating back thousands of years. Ayurveda translates to “the science of life,” incorporating harmony among the mind, body, and spirit to boost overall health and wellness. Ayurvedic practitioners have known about the benefits of ghee for millenia, and this knowledge is increasingly becoming part of mainstream culture.
Beyond Ayurveda, nutritionists agree that ghee plays a role in bodily health by offering an array of benefits:
Digestive-Friendly: Ghee contains the anti-inflammatory fatty acid butyrate, which promotes gut health by nourishing the cells of the colon and intestinal lining.
Nutrient-Rich: Ghee contains vitamins A, E, and K. It also contains conjugated linoleic acid which has been found to combat cancer and heart disease.
Detoxifying Properties: When properly cultured like Ahara Rasa’s products, ghee offers a detoxifying effect on the body by dissolving and liquifying toxins, making it easier for the body to remove them.
Promotes Healthy Skin: Ghee can act as a healing salve for the skin, offering protection, hydration, and a cooling effect for burns. It soothes, smooths, and brightens skin, and can also be used to moisturize dry hair.
Start Reaping Ghee’s Benefits With Ahara Rasa
At Ahara Rasa, we believe food should do more than taste good. It nourishes your body, reflects ancient traditions, and builds connected communities. Our name even reflects that ethos. Ahara Rasa translates to “the essence of food,” the subtle energy that comes with optimal health and nourishment. It’s what you’ll find in our grass-fed Traditional Ghee, and what you taste in our ghees with phenomenal flavors.
Whether you’re an avid ghee lover or just beginning your journey with ghee, we are here to support you. Browse our variety of traditional and flavored ghees, or chat with us and bring any questions you may have.
Butter in its Purest Form ™
Ahara Rasa