Ghee: God’s Food

Not many have wondered about the topic of this blog ‘Ghee’! Have you ever thought about what its origin is or how it became a staple food of India and recently a global ‘superfood’? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In this new blog series, we’re going to be posting various blogs on this God’s Food.

The word ghee comes from Sanskrit: घृत (dhṛuta-) ‘clarified butter’, from dhṛ- ‘to sprinkle’.

Ghee is the purest butter oil in existence. Ghee’s creation took place in what is now the northeast corner of India, but its popularity bloomed somewhere else. Somewhere that milk would go sour too quickly to use, and regular butter would be a useless puddle by midday – Southern India.

Ghee is considered a true food of the gods in India as it has numerous religious and mythological references and health benefits coupled with culinary flavour. Ghee’s use in Ayurveda medicinal practices has long been documented with astonishing effects on the human body. RK Narayan put it best “The origin of ghee is, no doubt, butter, but ghee is like a genius born to a dull parent… A perfectly boiled ghee is considered fit for the gods.”

Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from cream (traditionally made by churning the topmost layer of dahi), skimming any impurities from the surface, then pouring and retaining the clear liquid fat while discarding the solid residue that has settled to the bottom.

While Ghee has been a part of many controversies in the past in western cultures, it is now being referred to as a superfood by nutritionists and scientists alike. It has got a lot of traction recently and is gaining cult-like popularity globally.

Stay Tuned to know more about Ghee!