What is Ghee?

Ghee...aka Liquid gold. Commonly used in Indian cuisine, ghee is a form of butter; more specifically, clarified butter. Ghee is a made by heating butter until all the water content is boiled out. The liquid fat is then strained and filtered to remove the milk solids, leaving only pure, delicious butter fat.

Ghee is a shelf stable fat that can be left out, and does not need refrigerated. Ghee makes a fantastic cooking oil because of it's extremely high smoke point (485°). This high smoke point makes ghee a great oil for pan frying or even deep frying. 

WHAT DOES GHEE TASTE LIKE?

Ghee can take on many different flavors. The flavor largely depends on the type of butter used and how it is cooked.  Ghee made from butter sourced from grass-fed cows typically has a much richer taste when compared to non grass-fed butter. That is because cows that are fed nutrient rich grasses typically produce higher quality, better tasting milk. High-quality ghee can have a rich, nutty, and often caramelized taste. 

The taste also depends on how long the ghee is cooked. Butter is comprised of 82-86% butter fat, the rest being water and milk solids. To remove the water and milk solids, the butter must be cooked for long periods of time.

To start out, the butter is placed in a pot, skillet, or large kettle to be heated. After the butter is melted, it's then brought to a slow boil to remove the moisture. During the cooking process, the water boils off and evaporates, leaving just the milk solids. The milk solids, mostly made up of casein and lactose, begin to both rise to the top and fall to the bottom of the pot or kettle. These can then be removed by straining.

Ghee can take on different flavors because cooking ghee longer can give it a darker color and lead to differences in taste. Ghee that's been darkened is sometimes referred to as brown butter. This ghee has a deeper taste that comes from the browning of milk solids on the top and bottom of the pot or kettle.

All-in-all, ghee can taste similar to butter, however, it often lacks the same creaminess because the milk solids have been removed. 

DOES GRASS FED GHEE MATTER?

Yes! Ghee from grass-fed cows will not only taste better but it will also be better for you. Ghee from grass-fed cows commonly contains nutrients like vitamins A, E, D, K, K2, CLA and Omega 3's. This is because grass typically contains much higher nutrient density than corn or grains. The old saying "you are what you eat" applies to butter too. One study found that grass-fed butter had as much as 5 times the amount of CLA when compared to normal butter and more Omega 3's as well. 

You may be thinking "it can't make that much of a difference", but you would be wrong. When compared to normal butter, butter from grass-fed cows has a much darker, and richer color. This indicates higher levels of beta carotene. Normal butter can have a pale, yellow-to-white appearance, indicating less nutrient density. 

Moral of the story? Opt for high-quality butter from grass-fed cows.

SHOULD YOU USE GHEE?

Ghee is great for anyone that has a dairy intolerance or sensitivity to lactose or casein. Because the milk solids are removed, people can usually eat ghee without any negative side effects. 

Like mentioned before, ghee is a great cooking oil because of its high smoke point. You can use ghee to sauté vegetables, fry eggs, create a rich sauce, or bake with it. It is a versatile cooking fat that can add rich buttery flavor to any dish.

WHAT GHEE DOES POWERCREAMER USE?

Here at PowerCreamer, we use only the highest-quality, best-tasting ghee we could find. Our ghee comes from New Zealand. A place known for its temperate climate and lush green pastures and prairies. It makes an ideal place for raising cows to produce great milk, and, in turn, great ghee. 

We searched for an entire year trying to find the highest quality ghee that would meet our standards. It has a rich, caramelized taste that highlights great tasting coffee. 

Give PowerCreamer a try today! It's made with ghee from grass-fed cows, organic coconut oil, and MCT Oil (for energy). Just pour it in, blend it up, and enjoy! Find all four flavors here!