In the Tibetan vision of hell, a diorama at the Field Museum that I visited when I was still in single digits, I first encountered ghee. Although I was inspired to think on my sins as I witnessed the tortures and trauma of afterlife in Tibetan Hell (an exhibit that has now been removed, probably for its disturbing content), I was fascinated by the offerings of ghee, clarified butter, in Tibet probably made of yak, also a food item/creature of enduring fascination for me.
Later in life, I heard of ghee in relation to Hindu religious ceremonies.
One of our relatives was asked by his doctor to eat butter only in the form of ghee, and we’ve made it at home a few times. Preparation is pretty easy: you just warm regular butter, let the solids settle, and then filter/pour off the clarified butter from the top.
Ghee has a cleaner, lighter flavor than regular butter, but oh man, this glass container bottle of cow milk ghee that was sent to us by Gurunanda is fantastically delicious. It reminded me of the rich, deep flavor of movie theater popcorn…in the days when they actually used butter and not some combination of oil and fake flavors.
Cow milk ghee, as opposed to yak or buffalo milk ghee, is the only type of ghee that has a religious application in Hinduism. I suspect the excellent flavor of this ghee has something to do with the grass-fed California cows that gave the milk to make it.
Ghee also has a higher smoke point than regular butter, so you can fry/sauté with ghee, and it will be less likely to smoke and burn.
For a health standpoint, ghee is said to be good for digestive health, and some studies show it has an anti-inflammatory effect. Ghee is also high in vitamins A and E.
There are somewhat more exotic claims made for the power of ghee:
According to Sanskrit records, ghee is supposed to improve voice, eyesight and longevity.
I dunno.
What I like most about ghee is the wonderful taste. This Gurunanda ghee is the tastiest butter I can remember eating. It’s available on Amazon.
